‘No Evidence Till Now’, Say Kangra Police as Probe Continues Into Dharamshala Student’s Death

New Delhi: The death of a 19-year-old student in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala has triggered widespread outrage, following allegations of ragging, bullying, and harassment by her classmates and a professor. However, Kangra Police have said that no evidence has been found so far to substantiate these claims.

Additional Superintendent of Kangra Police, Bir Bahadur, speaking with Republic, stated that the investigation is currently at a preliminary stage and authorities are examining all possible angles related to the case. 

He clarified that, as of now, 'no evidence has been found of ragging or sexual harassment till now'.

Further, he said that the deceased student had undergone treatment at ‘7 to 8 hospitals’ before her death. As the probe continues, police teams have been dispatched to collect the complete medical history of the deceased. 

FIR Filed Against a Professor and Three Classmates 

Following the incident, the deceased student's father has filed an FIR against a professor and three others, alleging ragging and harassment. Earlier, the complaint regarding ragging and harassment had been registered through the Chief Minister's helpline on December 20.

The police have registered a case under sections 75, 115(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009.

The victim's father, Vikram Kumar, said, "My daughter is no more. I need justice. The accused girls and the professor should be punished. What happened to my kid should not happen to anybody else."

Further, he alleged in the complaint that on September 18, three female students assaulted her and threatened her, causing her to become mentally disturbed.

Both parents have appealed for strict action against those responsible, stating that their daughter's suffering must not go unpunished.

UGC Orders Probe

The University Grants Commission also took serious cognisance of the tragic death at the Government Degree College, Dharamshala. The UGC decided to constitute a fact-finding committee and assured that those found guilty would not be spared. It stated that stringent action would follow and reiterated that student safety remains paramount.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) met the Director General of Police in Shimla and submitted a memorandum demanding a fair and impartial inquiry by a senior police officer.

The party expressed condolences to the family and raised concerns over the alleged delay in police action and the possibility of caste-based discrimination, as the victim belonged to a Scheduled Caste community.

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