The suicide case that is rocking Amity - One of India's 'Leading' Universities

As a result of burgeoning pressure by agitating Amity students in the Sushant Rohilla suicide case for the past week, two teachers directly responsible for the third year law student taking his own life, have reportedly resigned from their positions.

BP Sehgal, (Director) and Isheeta Rutabhasini who is permanent faculty member, had been sent on forced leave three days ago as hundreds of students gathered outside the Noida college campus to protest what they called deliberate harassment and torture by authorities on Rohilla for no fault of his.

Here's how the case had unfolded so far:

1) Rohilla was found hanging in his room at his residence in Sarojini Nagar on August 10. He was shattered after he learned that he would not be allowed to take his sixth semester exams due to low attendance. In his suicide note, he reportedly wrote he was a failure and did not wish to live. His mother, a teacher, walked in after coming back from school at 2.30pm to find Sushant hanging from the ceiling fan and a suicide note, which said he was sorry to have failed them and for not being a good brother and a son.

2) His friends and family alleged Sushant had suffered a foot injury because of which he was unable to attend classes for at least two weeks. He had missed many classes before, they said, because he was busy representing college at various events and even organising event for the college for which he should have been given attendance.

3) Meanwhile, as the issue snowballed, Amity Law School claimed in a statement that Sushant had 43 per cent attendance and this had been “conveyed to his parents many times through mail. Since the institute is affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh IP University, the attendance, as per the rules of IP University, was sent to IP, which has the sole discretion to issue admit cards… for sitting in examinations.” It added, “Amity Law School itself had absolutely no role”. The authorities also alleged they did not hear back from Rohilla or his parents despite intimating the, repeatedly.

4) Sushant’s family, however, maintained that no warning or notices were sent to them about his attendance. They said he informed the family about his detention and they got to know about it only when two representatives of IP University visited them on August 11 to pay condolences. They alleged the officials claimed he was irregular to college and was not good in studies. His uncle Dinesh Rohilla and sister Mehak Rohilla then shared an email to counter university’s claims, which showed Rohilla wrote to the college requesting them to not debar him from semester examinations due to shortage of attendance. The same day his father Jagdish Kumar, a joint secretary in Rajya Sabha, blamed college officials for his son’s suicide. “His act of suicide was provoked by some officials of the Institute over trivial but illegal arbitrary issues. No student should ever be tortured over attendance. I will get my son justice,” he wrote on Facebook.

5) Jagdish and Rohilla’s friends, contrary to the university’s claims that he was not a good student and was given grace marks, also posted his meritorious achievements and the laurels he brought to Amity which were never considered by the college.

6) Meanwhile, Rohilla's suicide had already triggered protests after August 10 outside the University and on social media. In no time, hashtag #JusticeForSushant started trending. Students refused to attend any classes in the absence of disciplinary action against the culprits. They demanded resignation of the two teachers - BP Sehgal and Isheeta Rutabhasini.

7) The two faculty members of the law school, who the students accuse of ignoring Rohilla's pleas, were then sent on forced leave soon after. Amity University claimed it had set up a six member commission for inquiry and both the accused could not return to office till the probe was over.

8) The family members of Sushant Rohilla, meanwhile, lodged a police complaint on Wednesday demanding an investigation into abetment to suicide charges against the accused.

9) Students, meanwhile, came out with a 16-page document titled ‘Bundle of Lies’ to expose Universities ‘false statements’. The document page-by-page deals with all the claims of the University and why they are false and misleading.

10) As protests intensified with alumni joining in, both teachers accused in the case, have now resigned. Agitating students today congratulated each other on their win and warded off unwanted politicization attempt as ABVP workers tried to hijack their efforts by joining the protest.

(Image courtesy: Facebook)