The death of a Sharda University student has left the campus, her family and batchmates in shock. The 21-year-old, a student of Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the university, had alleged mental harassment by professors in the suicide note she left behind.
Remembering her, some of her batchmates echoed the concerns she pointed out in her note, with one of them reportedly saying that all students faced the same problems every day.
Some students also detailed the 21-year-old student's final interactions with a professor. They said a professor accused the student of forging signatures, and two professors also taunted her for complaining to her parents about the faculty.
According to an Indian Express report, the student's humiliation began last week when she went Mahinder Singh Chauhan, a faculty member, to get her practical file signed.
Her friend told the publication that when the student's turn came to get the file signed, the professor "looked at the signature on her last practical work, and then claimed, ‘These are not my signature… you have forged it’".
"She left in tears", the 21-year-old student's batchmate recalled, saying the student was asked to leave immediately when she denied forging any signatures.
{{/usCountry}}"She left in tears", the 21-year-old student's batchmate recalled, saying the student was asked to leave immediately when she denied forging any signatures.
{{/usCountry}}The FIR filed following the BDS student's suicide names six people -- Shairy Vashist, Mahinder Singh Chauhan, Anurag Hasti (named as Anurag Awasthi in the FIR), Surabhi Duggal, dean Dr M Siddharth, and HOD Ashish Choudhary, along with one unnamed individual.
Of them, Shairy Vashist and Mahinder Singh Chauhan have been arrested.
Earlier this week, the victim's father visited the university and requested the professors to not mistreat his daughter. However, the following day, when Jyoti went to collect her file, the teachers reportedly mocked her for having spoken to her parents about their behaviour.
“Both (Dr Chauhan and Dr Vashist) were looking at our practical files. When her turn came, they started to taunt her. She was in tears again…,” a student told the same publication.
The victim's father has also alleged that his daughter was being harassed by some faculty members, adding that while he was given verbal assurances, the harassment continued.
“She told us her work wouldn’t be approved and she would be barred from exams. The next day she was gone,” he said.
The 21-year-old's body was found inside her room by her roommate in Mandela Hostel of Sharda University in Greater Noida.