Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh met the agitating Khalsa College students on late Sunday night and assured them of justice. At the same time, he also directed the top official to probe abetment to suicide allegations against the college management.
Amritsar’s Khalsa College students were on a warpath against the college management over the recent suicide of a student, Harpreet Singh, in his hostel room in the college premises, allegedly due to pressure by the faculty.
Assuring the students of justice, he directed the state Principal Secretary (Higher Education) Anurag Verma to address their grievances and probe the matter to ascertain the college management’s role in the suicide of the student who was found hanging in his room.
He also assured Harpreet’s father, Yadwinder Singh, of all possible help by the state government for the family and also to punish anyone found guilty of abetment to the suicide.
Yadwinder, in a letter to the Chief Minister, sought Rs 50 lakh in compensation and a job for his younger son following the death of Harpreet, the only bread-winner who could have lifted the family out of the extreme poverty they are living in. The letter was also signed by members of the Gram Panchayat and residents of Harpreet’s village Gumti Kalan.
Demanding strong action against the college management committee members, principal and registrar for abetting the suicide of the student over the issue of attendance shortage, the students sought the Chief Minister’s intervention in bringing the guilty to book.
Capt Amarinder told the students that he would ensure that justice is meted out in the matter.
He made it clear that nobody found complicit in abetting the suicide of BSc (agriculture) student Harpreet Singh would be allowed to go scot free.
Pointing out that the state police had already formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case, Capt Amarinder said that no laxity would be tolerated and the case would be taken to its logical conclusion.
According to the students, Harpreet, who was barred from appearing for his exam over shortage of attendance, had been treated unfairly as there were other students short of attendance who had been allowed to take the exam.
Harpreet, they said, was taking private coaching classes for admission into MSc course from some prestigious college, which was the reason for his low attendance.
Harpeet’s father has already filed an FIR against the college principal, registrar and head of the agriculture department for abetment to suicide.