The controversy began when a male student at the prestigious , used a mobile phone to record a 2-minute and 37-second video of a fellow 11th-standard female student. The grainy footage, featuring an intimate act, was shared via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and quickly went viral.

—the primary way to share media between phones before the era of smartphones and WhatsApp. The Viral Outbreak and Auction

The scandal is often cited as India's first "viral" sex scandal and has been referenced in popular media:

Reflections on the DPS RK Puram MMS Scandal: A Turning Point in Digital India