Dharamshala, Dec 03 : Following the death of a 19 year old woman student of a government degree college in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced the constitution of a Fact-Finding Committee, stressing that student safety remains a top priority.
In a statement, the UGC said it had taken serious cognisance of the incident and assured that those found responsible would face stringent action.
“The University Grants Commission has taken serious cognisance of the tragic suicide at the Government Degree College, Dharamshala. It has been decided to constitute a Fact-Finding Committee. UGC assures that culprits will not be spared, and stringent action will follow. Student safety is paramount,” the commission said.
The UGC’s response came after a purported video statement recorded by the student before her death surfaced on social media. While the commission referred to the incident as a suicide, the victim’s family has alleged that she was subjected to harassment, physical assault by senior students, and sexual misconduct by a college professor.
According to an FIR lodged by the victim’s father, three senior students allegedly intimidated and assaulted his daughter in September last year. The complaint also alleges inappropriate conduct by a faculty member. The father told police that a formal complaint could not be filed earlier as his daughter was traumatised and required hospitalisation.
The family claims that the alleged harassment had a severe impact on the student’s mental and physical health, leading to a steady deterioration in her condition. She later died while undergoing treatment in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Police officials said a preliminary inquiry has been conducted and a formal case registered based on the family’s complaint.
“Only after a detailed investigation will it be clear whether the allegations of ragging, physical assault, intimidation and sexual misconduct had any connection with the student’s declining health and her subsequent death,” a police official said.