SAU student sexual assault case: 70 guards question by cops, CCTV footage seized

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The Delhi Police have questioned around 70 security guards in connection with the alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old student of South Asian University (SAU) by four people, including a guard, on the campus premises, an official said on Wednesday.

CCTV footage from across the campus has been seized for examination, an officer said, adding that multiple teams are working to identify and arrest the accused.

The first-year B.Tech student was found injured with her clothes torn on October 13, a day after she was reported missing. An FIR was registered on Tuesday, police said.

According to the complaint, the victim alleged that four people, including a security guard, sexually and physically assaulted her, stripped her of her clothes and forced her to consume an abortion pill.

She also alleged receiving sexually explicit and threatening messages from a person identified as Aryan Yash via email and social media in the days leading up to the incident. The messages included morphed obscene images and instructions asking her to meet him at various locations on the campus, the FIR stated.

The police said efforts are underway to trace the IP address linked to the threatening messages and identify the sender.

“We have questioned 60 to 70 security guards on the campus and recorded statements of her friends. The caretaker and hostel warden, who the victim claimed asked her to change clothes and take a shower, have also been questioned,” a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, a video shared by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday showed several students protesting against the incident, with police officers seen attempting to pacify and disperse them.

In her complaint, the victim also alleged that the university administration failed to take the matter seriously. She claimed the hostel in-charge told her she would be fine after changing her clothes and taking a shower, and that she was not allowed to speak to her mother initially.

The South Asian University has constituted a committee to probe the incident and directed it to submit a detailed report within 10 days.

The university administration said it “strongly condemns” the incident and reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and violence against women. The victim is currently receiving counselling. PTI SSJ NB