15 varsity profs resign from additional charges

ROHTAK: A day after a professor committed suicide allegedly due to work pressure at Chaudhry Devi Lal University (CDLU) in Sirsa, around 15 professors from the university tendered their resignation from additional responsibilities “to ease off their burden”.

Professor Praveen Aghamkar, 48, head of physics department at CDLU, had on Wednesday morning hanged himself at his residence.

Aghamkar’s colleagues at the university said he was upset at being overburdened with the additional charge of controller of examination, and was being harassed by seniors to work beyond his capacity.

“Shocked by the incident, 15 teachers of the university have resigned from their additional charges. We all are being unnecessarily harassed by vice-chancellor Vijay Kayat and our colleague’s suicide has alarmed us to stop bearing this pressure,” said Prof SK Gehlaut, who resigned from two additional charges he used to hold.

The teaching and non-teaching staff of the university on Thursday held a dharna at the campus and suspended work, demanding the VC step down from his post till the police inquiry in suicide case was complete. “He (Aghamkar) was our most hard-working colleague. But university authorities forced him to commit suicide. The authorities here harass the staff so much over trivial issues and we all can feel the pain he must have gone through ,” said Professor Rajveer Dayal.

V-C DISMISSES CHARGES

VC Kayat brushed aside allegations levelled against him abd said, “Only a section of staff having vested interests is protesting. Prof Aghamkar was like a family member and he had been holding the additional charge for the past 10 years. He was not overburdened.”

. Sirsa city police station SHO Vinod Kumar said they have not registered any case so far. “Aghamkar’s brother gave his statement that he was depressed due to work pressure. But he has not blamed any person. ,” he said.

We all are being unnecessarily harassed by vicechancellor Vijay Kayat and our colleague’s suicide has alarmed us to stop bearing this pressure.

PROF SK GEHLAUT, Chaudhry Devi Lal University Only a section of staff having vested interests is protesting. Prof Aghamkar was like a family member and he had been holding the additional charge for past 10 years. VIJAY KAYAT , university vice-chancellor