'Almost split...head': DU professor assaulted by PhD scholar narrates incident
What's the story
The Delhi University (DU) professor who was allegedly assaulted by a 31-year-old PhD scholar has shared his version of how the incident unfolded. Speaking to ANI, he said he was entering the Umang Bhawan at 10:30am for his 11:00am class when the PhD student punched and slapped him, causing him to fall to the ground. "It was fortunate that there was a railing behind me; I didn't hit it, or else my head would have been split open."
Incident details
DU has suspended the PhD scholar
He continued, "He was saying something—I found out later that he was referring to his PhD admission interview from a year and a half or two years ago. There is a ten-member committee for that interview, and I was one of the members."
DU has suspended the PhD scholar, Shubham Singh, from its Faculty of Law. He has been prohibited from entering university premises.
The university also formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter.
Twitter Post
Jha speaks to ANI
#WATCH | Delhi: Professor Anupam Jha of Delhi University says, "I was coming here to conduct a class. It was scheduled for 11:00 AM, so I was entering the building at 10:30 AM. As I was entering, a PhD student punched and slapped me, causing me to fall to the ground. I injured my… https://t.co/wrOyUtnw1I pic.twitter.com/EtwigvN00V
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2026
Assault account
Professor Jha has been teaching at DU for 23 years
The university's proctor Manoj Kumar Singh issued the suspension order, which stated that "his entry into the premises of the university is banned."
The order was issued after a 134-second CCTV footage of the incident surfaced online.
Professor Jha has been teaching at DU for 23 years.
He also alleged this was the second such incident involving Singh.
Admission frustration
Singh admitted to being frustrated
"On July 29, 2025, he barged into my office, asking why I questioned him about the Constitution during his PhD interview," Jha said.
Singh admitted to being frustrated with the questions asked by Jha during his PhD admission interview. He said this frustration led to the alleged assault.
"I was frustrated with the questions the professor had asked me in the interview and the overall system wherein I got enrolled in the course in 2024-25," Singh said.
Safety concerns
Incident raises concerns over campus safety
The incident has raised concerns over campus safety, with the Academics for Action and Development Delhi Teachers's Association questioning how quality teaching can continue in such an environment.
"We are deeply concerned about how quality teaching-learning can be conducted when such a violent aggression is committed against a teacher," they said.
The Democratic Teachers' Front also highlighted that this isn't an isolated case of violence against teachers on campus.