Sharda University student dies by suicide, alleges mental harassment by faculty; two arrested

Sharda University suicide: Family, students protest against faculty; police resort to lathi-charge

GREATER NOIDA — A second-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student at Sharda University was found dead by suicide in her hostel room on Friday, officials said on Saturday.

The student, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana, allegedly ended her life after facing sustained mental harassment from faculty members.

The tragic incident has sparked protests on campus and led to the arrest of two teachers.

The young woman was discovered hanging in her hostel accommodation on the university’s Knowledge Park campus.

A handwritten suicide note found in her room explicitly blamed two faculty members --identified in the note as Mahender Sir and Shairg Ma'am -- for causing her emotional distress and pushing her to take the extreme step.

In the note, she wrote: “If I die, the teachers of PCP and Dental Material will be responsible for this. Mahender Sir and Shairg Ma'am are responsible for my death. They mentally harassed me. They insulted me. I have been under stress for a long time. I want them to suffer the same. Sorry, I cannot live anymore.”

Upon receiving the alert, officers from the Knowledge Park Police Station rushed to the scene, secured the hostel premises, and sent the body for post-mortem.

A forensic team and senior police officials conducted a detailed investigation at the spot, collecting evidence from the room.

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Based on a complaint filed by the student’s family, police registered an FIR and arrested both faculty members under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to abetment of suicide.

After the incident, the student's classmates and family members created a huge ruckus in the university campus and held a protest against the administration.

They alleged that the student was being mentally harassed by some teachers of the department for a long time, but despite repeated complaints, no action was taken.

Police officials managed to control the situation by engaging in dialogue with the students and their family members. Currently, peace has been restored on campus, and the police are proceeding with the necessary legal formalities.

Sharda University suicide: Family, students protest against faculty; police resort to lathi-charge

The tragic suicide of a 21-year-old Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) second-year student inside the girls' hostel of Sharda University has triggered widespread outrage among the family and fellow students. 

They staged a protest on campus on Saturday, demanding justice and strict action against the faculty members named in her suicide note.

The suicide occurred late on Friday night in Greater Noida's Knowledge Park area. The student was found hanging in her hostel room, police said. Two teachers have been arrested by the police so far in the case.

Shock and anger rippled through the campus, especially in the hostel premises, after a suicide note was recovered from the room. In the note, the student accused one male and one female faculty member from the dental department of mentally harassing her.

According to officials, the student had recently shown signs of mental distress, though no official complaint had been filed prior to the incident.

The incident triggered protests on campus, as students and family members raised slogans against the university administration and demanded a transparent and impartial investigation.

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Tensions escalated after they alleged that the police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the gathering, injuring several people.

Speaking to IANS, the student's mother said her daughter and other students were under extreme stress due to threats from faculty about failing.

"I spoke to my daughter at 8 A.M. yesterday. Later, I called around 5:30 P.M., but she didn't answer. The teachers threatened to fail them by withholding their signatures on exam assignments. She was forced into taking this step. We were not even informed about her death. We demand justice," she said.

She further alleged that police hit her husband, son, and other relatives during the protest.

"My sister-in-law was pushed and injured. The police attacked us instead of helping us," she added.

Another relative accused the university of trying to suppress the case.

"There was a similar case of a student from Odisha that was also hushed up. This time, too, they tried to hide the incident by not informing us," he said.

The student's cousin told IANS that the family received the information only at 9:30 P.M. and had to call the police themselves at 10:42 P.M.

"The university took her to the hospital without informing the police or us. How can they do that? We want justice, and instead the police are lathi-charging us. The ADCP was present when this happened," he said.

No official from the university administration met the family to explain the circumstances of the student's death, relatives claimed.

"No one came forward. This university has no accountability. We demand not just action against the faculty but also against the institution. If justice is not served, we will not allow the university to function," a family member warned.

Allegations have also surfaced regarding procedural lapses.

"The body was brought down without informing the police. Everything was done by the college, not the police. This is a murderous university," said another relative.

Appealing directly to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the family has demanded strict action against the university administration and the accused faculty.

Meanwhile, police said that investigations are ongoing.

Further details are awaited.