Sharda University administration booked after B.Tech student died by suicide citing bullying, stress

LUCKNOW: Sharda University appears to be sailing in troubled waters. While the institution has yet to clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged death by suicide of second-year BDS student Jyoti Sharma, 21, in mid-July, reportedly due to harassment by faculty members, another tragedy has struck. A B.Tech student, 24, died by suicide on the night of 15 August in a private hostel in Knowledge Park, barely two kilometres from the campus. According to sources, police registered a case of abetment to suicide against the Sharda University administration and unidentified individuals in connection with the death. In a suicide note recovered from the possession of the deceased, identified as Shivam Dey, 24, a native of Purnia district in Bihar, he allegedly described himself as useless and wrote that he could no longer bear the stress. The first information report (FIR) also alleged that the deceased told his parents that classmates bullied him over failing the exam. On Sunday, two days after the incident, Greater Noida police registered a case under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) against the administration of Sharda University and unidentified individuals, on the complaint of the students father, who alleged mismanagement. The college did not inform us that my son was not attending classes despite accepting tuition fees for the past two years, reads the FIR. Meanwhile, sources claimed that as per the initial probe, the student had enrolled in the universitys B.Tech course in 2022 but stopped attending classes after failing his second-year exams. The student received a supplementary exam in the first year. He passed the supplementary exam and was admitted to the second year. But after another supplementary exam in the second year (2023), this time he failed in it and then he stopped attending classes since 2023, said Sharda Universitys Director (Public Relations), Dr Ajit Kumar. We were informed that the student concerned had created fake mark sheets from Sharda University and sent them to his parents, claiming he was enrolled and studying. As he had a login ID for the college, his parents continued sending fees to the universitys account. We sent multiple messages about his absence and re-admission to the college, but it was revealed that he had provided his personal number, where the university sent messages, Kumar said. In the last two years, his parents deposited over Rs 2.5 lakh in the universitys account. We asked them to provide bank details to return the additional money, added Kumar, questioning how someone could be considered part of the university when he had left the course without providing any information. The university, meanwhile, stated that had the parents contacted them directly, they would have been informed about the additional fees and it would have been refunded without delay. With more than 20,000 students enrolled, it was challenging to monitor each students login details for fee deposits, the administration claimed. Police investigations, however, revealed clear lapses on the part of the college, as the administration allegedly continued to accept fees without informing the parents that the student had stopped attending classes. Evidence provided by the family suggests that they deposited all semester fees without delay. If the student provided an incorrect number at the time of admission, the college should have cross-verified it, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Greater Noida) Vivek Ranjan Rai. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)