Fact-finding report slams Azim Premji varsity for ‘targeting’ students over ABVP mob violence

The report follows an incident on February 24, 2026, when a mob of approximately 20 individuals, identifying as members of the ABVP stormed the campus to protest a student-led reading circle.

Bengaluru: A fact-finding report released on Friday has lambasted the Azim Premji University (APU) administration for its response to a mob attack on its Sarjapur campus in February, accusing the institution of failing to protect its students and instead initiating disproportionate disciplinary actions against them.

The report, titled "ABVP’s Vigilante Violence Against Azim Premji University," was compiled by a coalition of civil society groups, including PUCL-Karnataka, Bahutva Karnataka, and the All India Students’ Federation (AISF).

It follows an incident on February 24, 2026, when a mob of approximately 20 individuals, identifying as members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), stormed the campus to protest a student-led reading circle.

The mob targeted a discussion organised by the student group 'SPARK-APU' concerning the 1991 Kunan-Poshpora mass-rape incident in Kashmir. According to the report, the group vandalised campus property, including the university plaque, and assaulted students. Testimonies included in the report describe a terrifying atmosphere where students, specifically those wearing hijabs or skull caps, were chased or beaten by the mob.

The findings highlight a duality in the university's legal response. While the Head of Security filed an FIR against the ABVP members, the University Registrar simultaneously filed a criminal complaint against the student group SPARK-APU.

"The FIR against SPARK-APU was a disproportionate response; the university shifted the blame onto students, whereas the administration should have been held accountable for compromising campus safety," the report states, based on student testimonies.

The report further reveals that on May 8, a student from the MA Development program was suspended for two years following a Special Disciplinary Committee hearing. The committee reportedly cited the student's defiance of the Code of Conduct and failure to follow instructions to de-escalate the situation during the mob attack.

Speakers at the press conference, including scientist Suvrat Raju and PUCL-K president Arvind Narrain, characterised the incident as a part of a broader national pattern of aggressively slamming down student expression. Mohan Rao of Bahutva Karnataka expressed concern over the shrinking of academic spaces where learning opportunities are stifled by surveillance and fear.