Amritsar, August 23
Tension gripped students and their parents as Dhiraj Sharma, a 21-year-old first year electronics engineering student of Hoshiarnagar-based Baba Kumha Singh Engineering College, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from his hostel room’s ceiling fan, probably in the wee hours today.
While the aggrieved family members alleged foul play and apprehended that Dhiraj’s ragging in the college may have forced him to take the extreme step, the college authorities assert that as Dhiraj was “weak” in studies, he did not wish to pursue his degree course further and had often been expressing his desire to return home in Una in Himachal Pradesh.
Shock gripped students of the institute when Fazal, a room-mate of Dhiraj, informed them at around 7 am that Dhiraj had committed suicide. Fazal said he had gone to another room in the hostel late on Saturday to study and had been forced to sleep in that room after finding out that his room was closed on his return.
“When I returned to my room early in the morning, nobody opened the door despite my repeated knocking. I opened the door focibly and was shocked to see the Dhiraj’s body hanging from the ceiling fan. Immeidately, I rushed out of the room to inform other students,” said
Fazal.
On the other hand, Radhe Sharma, brother of Dhiraj, and his relative, Sudhir Sharma, alleged that Dhiraj had committed suicide as he was tormented over his ragging in the college.
“The ragging episode had been haunting Dhiraj and he had been informing us about it,” alleged Radhe Sharma and Sudhir Sharma.
Refuting the ragging allegations, the college Principal, Davinder Singh, said ragging was not possible as there was a complete ban on any such practice in the college. “Ragging has never occurred in our college,” said the Principal, adding that Dhiraj was “weak” in studies and had
even apprised his parents about his wish to return home.
He said Dhiraj had told his parents that he could not pursue his studies any further and that he had committed suicide for fear of studies. “Preliminary investigation has brought forth this fact,” said the Principal.
Gharinda SHO Sukhwinder Singh said the police was looking into the matter. A case had been registered.
