SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: February 03, 2026

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Mohan Babu University

Region & Country:Southern Asia | India

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On February 3, 2026, a group of approximately thirty men abducted and assaulted two student leaders who were organizing protests at Mohan Babu University (MBU).

At the time of their abduction, the two students, Shaik Ali Akbar and Vinod Kumar, were on their way to the district administrative office to stage a peaceful protest against alleged fee extortion and administrative irregularities at MBU. According to a police complaint lodged by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), a large group of men arrived in multiple vehicles and threatened the students before forcibly taking them away.

Following the SFI complaint, the police launched a search operation and rescued the students within 90 minutes. The victims registered a case involving charges of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, and assault. They informed police that the attackers had claimed links to the university administration and founder Mohan Babu, as well as his son, Manchu Vishnu. On February 10, 2026, a criminal case was registered against Babu.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the abduction and assault of higher education students. State authorities should take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of scholars, students, and staff, including by investigating and holding perpetrators of such acts responsible, in line with international human rights standards. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, kidnappings that target members of the higher education community undermine the conditions needed for the meaningful exercise of the right to education and academic freedom.

Sources:
https://prabhanews.com/ap-101/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/ap-high-court-declines-interim-relief-to-mohan-babu-in-student-leaders-kidnap-case/articleshow/128169403.cms
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/protests-at-mohan-babu-university-after-abduction-of-its-student-leaders-1934732 https://tmv.in/article/mohan-babu-manchu-vishnu-face-kidnap-case-over-students-abduction https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2026/Feb/05/student-bodies-demand-arrest-of-mohan-babu-son-over-alleged-attack-on-sfi-leaders