SLUG: Dalit student suicide
Ahmedabad: Two days after a 19-year-old Dalit student died by suicide at Merchant College for Homeopathy in Mehsana, police investigation has revealed that the deceased had approached the college principal at least 10 times over two months, seeking action against alleged harassment by four faculty members.
Her father, an advocate, confirmed that his daughter had repeatedly raised this issue with the college principal, who had scolded her instead of acting against the errant professors.
Following the student’s death, Mehsana Taluka police registered an FIR against the accused faculty members — professors V S Rao Vasnik, Prashant Nuval, Y C Bose, and Dr Sanjay Reethe; and principal Kailash Patil — on charges of abetment to suicide.
The FIR states that the deceased had confided in her father about being targeted by the professors. In his complaint, her father alleged that his daughter was subjected to persistent harassment by the accused faculty members, including verbal abuse, public humiliation and inappropriate physical contact. Despite repeatedly approaching principal Patil, no action was taken, he further alleged.
The deceased’s father told TOI, “My daughter always dreamt of becoming a doctor, and had to settle for homeopathy. She was very industrious and good at her studies. For the past two months, she was in distress. When I asked her the reason behind her grief, she said that she was constantly harassed.”
He alleged that his daughter was targeted because of her caste. “She was taunted for her caste. When she objected, her professors began targeting her. They harassed her physically and mentally, driving her to suicide,” he alleged.
Sources in the college claimed that other women faced harassment on campus, too. A student from the college alleged, “An unknown man once attempted to strangle a girl at night, but he could not be identified as his face was covered.” Another student, speaking anonymously, claimed that the same professors had harassed other students as well. “When one of the professors saw me with the victim, he started harassing me too. I had to apologize and promise not to accompany her again,” the female student said.
The investigating officer, DySP Mehsana Milap Patel, was not available for his comments on the issue.