Despicable state of affair is prevailing in the campus where a gang surrounding V-C in breach of administrative propriety acts in a highly selective manner to victimize those doing their jobs honestly. This is horrendous and warrants prioritise attention of Raj Bhawan to end the rot.
JAMMU: Suicide by a professor is indeed a first case in the campus of Jammu University but perhaps not to be the last one. Reeling under intense harassment and victimization at the hands of a gang, several academicians in JU campus are on the brink of embracing extreme step.
Facing allegations of “improper conduct with students” Professor Shekhar of Psychology department on Wednesday committed suicide by hanging himself with a ceiling fan inside a class room as soon as he was reportedly relieved from all academic activities by an order issued by Registrar JU, Prof. Arvind Jasrotia.
The deceased teacher was all set to assume role of headship on superannuation of incumbent HoD in ending September.
He is a casualty of ongoing dirty politics in the campus, said one of his colleagues in anger.
Though the JU administration in its official version issued by Dean Students Welfare, Prof. Prakash Anthal have assiduously absolved itself over loss of a precious life by attributing this extreme step as an outcome of an inquiry the CASH committee has initiated against deceased teacher.
However, majority of academicians in the campus are blaming the varsity authorities for their failure to ably handle a sensitive matter owing to a “gang” which usually prevails upon the Vice-Chancellor chamber and earns expertise in victimization and harassment of upright teachers in the campus.
“Nearly nine teachers mainly from department of English, Directorate of Distance Education, Life Long Learning, Law, Geography and Urdu are contemplating for extreme step owing to atmosphere of ill-treatment and persecution at the hands of a coterie surrounding the incumbent Vice-Chancellor”, says reliable sources in JUTA. It pains to see university teachers feeling disheartened and keep discussing about ending their lives owing to continuous mistreatment meted out to them in the varsity, he added.
Anguish over suicide of Prof. Shekhar, another member of JUTA said “He was faculty member of Psychology and used to help other face the challenges firmly but he himself opted for extreme step. Imagine the degree of torture and harassment he was coping amidst serious charges leveled against him by entire class”.
Had some members of CASH committee and especially Registrar acted in a responsible manner, the deceased Prof. Shekhar would have with us today. It is a clear case of abetment to suicide. The culprits must be brought to justice, avers a senior officer of JU.
Eyebrows are also being raised on the way the varsity authorities have conducted the preliminary inquiry in haste against Prof. Shekhar. Its learnt that complaint against deceased teacher was received on September 1, 2022 and CASH committee finished preliminary round of inquiry at rocket speed in just four days.
The university where the authorities sleeps on cases of sexual harassment for years to arrive at suitable conclusion acts at breakneck speed to corner Prof. Shekhar, says reliable sources in JU.
Dr. Chandra Shekhar has gone but ‘Sab Saach Hei, Leikin Kahani Jhoot hei’ which he had written on a blackboard in his class room before committing suicide has not only exposed the rotten system of JU but also raised question mark on sagacity of mind holding responsible chairs. After all Mr. V-C, dying statement never speaks lies.
JK Global News contacted Prof. Umesh Rai on his mobile numbers but received no response.