NHRC notice to Andhra govt, DGP over student’s suicide in Visakhapatnam

The NHRC has asked for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks and they have also asked the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to include the status of the investigation.

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police over a college student dying by suicide allegedly due to sexual harassment by a faculty member, an official said.

The NHRC has asked for a detailed report on the matter within four weeks and they have also asked the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to include the status of the investigation.

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“The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that, unable to bear the sexual harassment by a faculty member, a first-year Diploma student committed suicide by jumping down from the 4th floor of Chaitanya Engineering College in Kommadi area, Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, on March 28,” NHRC said in a press release.

Reportedly, in a message to her father on his mobile phone, she said that sexual harassment of girl students is common in the college and the management was not able to stop it, NHRC said.

“The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights, which is a matter of concern,” the NHRC added.

The Commission has further observed that, apparently, the negligent and reckless attitude of the authorities in the institution has led to this incident. This, as well as the allegations of sexual harassment of other students in the college, require to be investigated thoroughly so that the perpetrators are booked and such incidents of violation of the right to life and dignity do not recur, they said.

“According to the media report, carried on March 30, the victim was subjected to sexual harassment by one of the faculty members of the college who had clicked her compromising pictures and was blackmailing her that he would upload these on social media,” the NHRC said.