New Delhi: The Union ministry of external affairs has sought a report from South Asian University (SAU) over the alleged sexual assault on a student, official sources in the university said.SAU, an international university funded by the Saarc nations, functions under the ministry.Police said a case of “attempt to gang rape” was registered after a student alleged that she was assaulted by four men, one of them a campus security guard. The incident has triggered protests on and outside the campus. Students have demanded the resignation of the warden and the dean.A statement from SAU said: “We, the SAU community — faculty, staff and students — stand in solidarity in light of the alleged horrific act of sexual violence that has been reported on campus. The South Asian University condemns this alleged act of sexual violence in the strongest terms and in one voice. We stand with our students and assure them of our full support.”A source said that the external affairs ministry had sought a detailed report from the registrar, Ravindra Kumar Soni. Repeated calls to the registrar seeking a response went unanswered.The police complaint and the university’s account show that the administration learnt of the matter on Monday morning, the day after the alleged assault. The university said it informed police later the same day.An email by warden Rinkoo D. Gupta to the registrar, which was accessed by TOI, shows that Gupta informed the university and sought approval to approach the police. “This is to inform you that a girl… is having panic attacks and trying to hurt herself. Her T-shirt is also torn. Dr. Priyadarshini (in charge of university’s medical centre) has examined her and observed that her vitals are normal. However, she has recommended filing an FIR and further taking her to Safdarjung Hospital for a complete check-up and treatment.” The mail was marked to senior university officials.Police said they got a PCR call from one of the students on Monday. They did not confirm if the university, too, had filed a complaint.The university said a committee was set up on Monday to address the demands of the protesting students and to liaise with the statutory University Complaints Committee (UCC). “The committee will submit its report within 10 days to the UCC,” a university official said. The protests continued on Tuesday. Students objected to a male official chairing the committee. Carrying placards and raising slogans, they demanded student representation in the inquiry.SAU said it has reviewed CCTV footage of the site where the girl was allegedly assaulted, but “nothing was found”. Police were examining the footage, the university said.University sources said that officials were checking details of the email threat that the student alleged she was sent and police would help trace the sender’s IP address.
