Dalit scholar makes suicide bid; blames HoD and dean of Gorakhpur varsity

GORAKHPUR: Alleging harassment by head of the department and dean of arts faculty at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University (DDU), a 25-year-old Dalit research scholar consumed some poisonous substance at his rented accommodation in Bilandpur locality of Gorakhpur on Thursday, police said.

As per doctors, the condition of Deepak Kumar is critical.

Dalit students of the university admitted the scholar to Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College and lodged a complaint with the police against the head of the department (HoD) and the dean, a police officer said.

The two professors have refuted allegations against them as baseless.

Before attempting suicide Deepak, son of Jagdish Kumar of Chauri Chaura, shot a threeminute video and posted it on Facebook.

In the video, which went viral on social media, Deepak accused his HoD Prof Dwarika Nath Srivastava and dean Chandra Prakash Srivastava of harassment and held them responsible for forcing him to end his life.

He also accused vice-chancellor VK Singh of not acting against the dean and the HoD even though he had lodged a complaint on September 6.

Station house officer, Cantonment, Ravi Kumar Rai said: “We have received some documents from the university. We have not seen it as yet as we are busy in security for Muharram procession. No complaint has been received so far from the kin of the scholar.”

Public relations officer, DDU, Dr Harsh Kumar Sinha said: “The DDU VC has set up a threemember committee headed by Pro-VC SK Dixit to probe the matter. The accused HoD has been removed pending inquiry.”

Earlier, the VC had sought a written clarification from the accused professors who submitted their reply to the VC.

In the video, Deepak is heard as saying: “I am facing caste discrimination for the last three months. Casteist remarks like you have got admission through quota and you belong to a lower caste are made against me. I am tired of this. I am under depression for the last three months. I have lost interest in eating and my future looks dark. I am left with no option but to end my life.”

“I complained to the VC on September 6 but no action was taken. On September 18, I was attacked by some goons who threatened me to withdraw my complaint,” he alleged in the video.

Dean, arts faculty, Prof CP Srivastava rejected charges against him and said in his 38-year-long academic career he did no harm to any student.

“It is a conspiracy against me. Deepak’s research guide Dr DN Yadav is using him to implicate me. Dr Yadav’s son Manoj Yadav had been illegally drawing fellowship for nine months by falsely posing as candidate of non-creamy layer. In 2014, when I became the HoD, I lodged a complaint with the VC who ordered recovery of the entire amount from Manoj Yadav. Since then, Dr Yadav was upset with me,” he claimed.

HoD DN Srivastava also accused Dr Yadav of conspiring against him with the help of research scholar.

Meanwhile, Dr Yadav said he was not aware of the research scholar’s suicide attempt and allegations made by the dean and the HoD against him.

“I was not in town and am not in a position to reply on the issue,” he said.

THE DDU VC HAS SET UP A THREEMEMBER COMMITTEE HEADED BY PROVC SK DIXIT TO PROBE THE MATTER.