DUSU Joint Secretary and ABVP member Deepika Jha has been suspended from her post for two months after the assault that took place in B.R. Ambedkar College on Professor Sujit Kumar.
DUSU Joint Secretary, Deepika Jha, a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has been suspended for two months following the assault on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College Professor Sujit Kumar. The order, issued by the Office of the Proctor, prohibits Jha from entering the premises of any Delhi University affiliated college during the suspension period. The decision comes nearly a month after the incident, which took place on October 16th, 2025.
According to the order, the suspension will take immediate effect. Jha has also been directed to submit a written apology to Prof. Kumar and an undertaking of good conduct. While her entry into DU-affiliated colleges is prohibited, she will be permitted to attend her academic classes and appear for examinations. The order mentions that her conduct will be reviewed by an Enquiry Committee after the two-month period before revoking the suspension. However, the initial inquiry panel recommended a three-month suspension period. A senior DU official said,
She will remain suspended for two months and cannot enter any DU campus in her capacity as a DUSU office-bearer. She is permitted to attend only her academic classes.”
An inquiry committee was constituted after CCTV footage of Jha slapping Prof. Kumar inside the Principal’s Office of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College surfaced. The incident occurred during talks between ABVP members and teachers regarding a physical attack on the college’s elected Student Union President. Prof. Kumar, who was the then acting convener of the college’s Disciplinary Committee, had been looking into the matter.
Prof. Kumar stated that a student affiliated with ABVP, who was under suspension, assaulted the elected president, a member of NSUI, in front of him during the oath-taking ceremony in the college that day. Following this, ABVP members including Jha came to the college. Prof. Kumar stated that he was asked to resign as convener, which he did.
The incident sparked uproar on the ‘unacceptable’ breach of decorum. It particularly triggered condemnation from teachers’ groups, including DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association) and DTF (Democratic Teachers’ Front), both of which demanded immediate action for what they termed a serious breach of institutional decorum. Calling the episode “mobocracy and hooliganism,” the DTF warned that such unchecked behaviour could escalate violence across campuses. The Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College Staff Association (BRACSA) also held a protest in October, calling for stringent disciplinary measures, which saw participation from DUTA office-bearers and others.
In a statement to the Hindustan Times, Jha said, “I regret the incident and apologise to the teachers’ community.” She claimed that Prof. Kumar had been “staring” and “smirking” at her, which she said prompted her reaction. “I felt angry and raised my hand,” she added.
Some have criticised the punishment as greatly disproportionate to Jha’s actions. “This has confirmed the apprehensions held by most teachers: that the DU administration will ensure a safe passage for the culprit,” said Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor at Kirori Mal College and former DUTA Executive.
This travesty of justice has sent a message loud and clear that the teachers, students, and non-teaching staff of DU have no security in their workplace. The University administration has abandoned everyone in order to protect the goons of the ruling party,” he continued.
Dr. Mirthuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of the Executive Council, echoed similar sentiments, stating: “The quantum of punishment does not seem to inspire confidence to act as a strong deterrent to prevent such incidents of physical assault against teachers in the future.”
Read Also: DU Staff Criticise Admin, Demand Expulsion of DUSU Activist Over Assault on Professor
Image Credits: @deepika.jhaa
Anjali Paruvu