DU teacher dies of Covid-19 days after her husband, leaves behind two sons

Chetan Jassal, an assistant professor in the commerce department of Mata Sundri College for Women, and her husband, Pawan Kumar Jassal,were rushed to Chandigarh by relatives on April 25 after reportedly failing to find a hospital bed in Delhi.

A 45-year-old assistant professor at a Delhi University (DU) college succumbed to Covid-19 on Monday, less than 10 days after her husband died of the illness Covid-19, orphaning two children.

Chetan Jassal, an assistant professor in the commerce department of Mata Sundri College, died due to Covid-19 on Monday. (Sourced)

Chetan Jassal, an assistant professor in the commerce department of Mata Sundri College for Women, and her husband, Pawan Kumar Jassal,were rushed to Chandigarh by relatives on April 25 after reportedly failing to find a hospital bed in Delhi. Her husband died on May 8, said her Chetan Jassal’s relatives.

Her colleagues, and friends said she was unaware of her husband’s death. “She called me on April 24 asking for some leads for an oxygen cylinder for her husband. He was having difficulty breathing and they were trying to find a hospital bed. They were both infected at the time. After failing to get a bed here, she took her husband to Chandigarh with the help of her relatives. In that time, her condition got worse, and she was hospitalised as well. She was on ventilator support since April 30. She did not know about her husband’s death,” said Veenakshi Sharma, a colleague and close friend of Chetan Jassal’s.

“She was a very dear friend. I can’t believe a person as lively as her has gone so early,” she said.

The DU Teachers Association (DUTA) said more than 35 faculty members from across colleges in the university have died of Covid-19 since March.

Veena Agarwal, an associate professor at SGTB Khalsa College also succumbed to the infection on Monday. Last week alone, at least five DU faculty members lost their lives to the deadly disease.

Harpreet Kaur, principal of Mata Sundri College for Women, said Jassal sent her documents to the college for a pending promotion, days before she left for Chandigarh.

“She would have been promoted to the post of associate professor soon. It’s so shocking for us to believe she is not among us any longer. She was a very hardworking and responsible colleague. We will never forget her ever-smiling face and lovable personality,” Kaur said.

Kaur said the two are survived by two sons — a 20-year-old studying psychology in DU, and a 14-year-old in Class 10.

“At the college’s level, we are trying to help the family. The chairperson of the college’s governing body has promised he will sponsor their sons’ education,” Kaur said.

Jassal’s brother Dr Maheshwar, who last met her in September, said, “We tried our best to find beds for them in Delhi, but to no avail. We had to call them here [to Chandigarh] then. It’s a difficult time for the family.”

Several students and colleagues also posted messages expressing shock over Jassal’s untimely demise on social media. Students had also organized a virtual prayer meet in her memory on Wednesday. “A moment of grief for all of us, as we have lost a very dear teacher who not only guided us but was also a pillar of strength… It’s very hard to believe that you are not with us and the college anymore,” said Sifat Kapoor, a student in a Facebook post.