Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has once again rusticated PhD student and Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) President Swati Singh for two semesters and declared her “out of bounds” from the campus, citing disciplinary violations.

The action comes despite a 2024 Delhi High Court ruling that overturned a previous rustication order against her for the same incident.

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Notably, the University stated that Swati Singh was found guilty of “being involved in an argument and physical violence with a lady security guard” on August 29, 2023.

The United Left (UL) and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) have termed the move an erosion of the right to protest and speak truth to power.

“The JNU administration is attempting to establish a chilling effect on campus, instilling a sense of fear among students by forcing them to choose between their studentship and the right to dissent,” it said in a statement.

The official rustication order dated April 29, shared by Swati on social media, also warns that “anyone giving shelter to Ms Swati Singh in any hostel or residence on campus shall invite disciplinary action.”

In her detailed response to the Show Cause Notice dated April 2, Swati stated that she had fully cooperated with the inquiry. However, key aspects of her defence—including testimonies of student witnesses, her allegation of being manhandled by a security guard, and questions about the authenticity of the “visual evidence” used against her—had been ignored.

She accused the Proctorial Committee of reaching a one-sided conclusion, failing to act on her repeated requests for full CCTV footage, and disregarding contradictions in the testimonies of security personnel.

Swati also emphasised that this fresh action effectively reopens a matter for which the High Court had already granted her relief. “Although the punitive orders were legally set aside, their consequences have continued in practice,” she wrote.

She added that despite the Court’s direction to reinstate her and provide hostel accommodation, the university has not complied, forcing her to live outside the campus and bear “considerable financial and emotional strain.”