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Jadavpur University orders internal probe after student allegedly dies by suicide
The university has further barred one of the accused students from entering the campus after a demand to keep the accused away from campus was raised by the university’s Forum for Students with Disability
Kolkata: The Jadavpur University on Wednesday asked its internal complaints committee (ICC) to probe the allegation of mental and physical torture on campus raised by the parents of a visually impaired student who died by suicide at her home on January 18, university officials said.
The parents of the second-year undergraduate student have lodged written complaints with the university as well the police in Jalpaiguri district, stating that “their daughter was physically and mentally tortured” by two male students who are also visually impaired.
“The young woman was found hanging by the neck inside her home. Post-mortem confirmed that it was death by suicide. Her parents lodged a complaint saying she was traumatised after being physically and mentally tortured by two male students on campus. They said she talked to both of them over the phone for hours before her death,” said a district police officer on condition of anonymity.
“The university authorities held meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday and referred the matter to the ICC,” general secretary of Jadavpur University Teacher’s Association Partha Pratim Roy said.
Roy added that the university has further barred one of the accused students from entering the campus after a demand to keep the accused away from campus was raised by the university’s Forum for Students with Disability.
Of the two accused, one is a junior student who lives in the hostel campus, and the other is a research scholar who travels from home.
Before Wednesday’s meeting, university registrar Snehamanju Basu told the media that one of the accused students wrote an email to the authorities admitting that he was in a relationship with the girl.
“...Hence, this matter cannot be referred to the anti-ragging committee. We also came to know that the girl was unwell for some time,” Basu said.
