3 days ago
Claims of forging teacher's signature, taunts led to suicide, say batchmates as dental student at Sharda University dies by suicide
An eerie silence prevailed at Mandela Girls Hostel, home to Jyoti, a 21-year-old Bachelor of Dental Surgery student at Sharda University, for the last two years.
Room 1209, part of a four-room apartment located on the 12th floor, stood locked on Saturday, hours after Jyoti was found hanging inside.
The incident would later lead to the arrest of faculty members Dr Mahinder Singh Chauhan and Dr Shairy Vashist on the charge of abetment of suicide.
Jyoti's batchmates remembered her as intelligent and bright. 'I have her notes that we prepared for the last semester,' said a student.
Another student said, 'It all began a week ago. What happened to her, happens to all of us here almost every day, she just could not take it.'
According to her batchmates, the 'humiliation' began last Friday when Jyoti went to obtain the signature of Dr Chauhan on her practical file.
'Our second-year exams will begin from Tuesday. Before that we have to finish all lab work and complete our files for all six subjects,' said one student.
'We were all waiting in line for Dr Chauhan. She was just ahead of me. When her turn came, she handed over her file to him. Moments before the professor would sign, he flipped the pages and looked at the signature on her last practical work. He then claimed, 'These are not my signature… you have forged it',' the student added.
'As she denied his claims, the professor asked her to leave immediately. She left in tears. Her file was confiscated and a call was made to her parents,' another student said.
On Monday, Jyoti's father visited the university and requested the professors to not mistreat her, the students said.
'But yesterday, when she went to collect her file, she was taunted for complaining about the teachers to her parents. '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 said.
Once classes were over on Friday, the 21-year-old was seen returning to her room.
'She was found dead around 8.45 pm by her friend, who had gone to check on her after her parents called to say that Jyoti was not answering their calls,' the student added.
Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
