Professor suicide case: Rights panel summons govt officials on March 26

CHENNAI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned the Principal Secretary, State Department of Higher Education, and Superintendent of Police, Erode on March 26 to file a report of inquiry on the alleged suicide of an assistant professor in Erode.

S Ravi, who was serving as assistant professor in Vivekananda College of Technology for Women, allegedly killed himself on March 17, 2020. He apparently took the step owing to distress from payment arrears and harassment by the college management.

The Commission took cognisance of the issue in July and sought an ‘action taken’ report from the principal secretary and the SP. The commission, in a recent communication to complainant KM Karthik, said that no report was submitted even though a final reminder had been issued.

“Accordingly, exercising the power given U/S 13 (1) (a) of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the Commission directs that the Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu and the SP, District Erode, be summoned to appear in person on March 16 to file the action taken report,” it said. Personal appearance of the authority will be waived off if the report is filed by March 19.

Action will be taken
The Commission took cognisance of the issue in July and sought an ‘action taken’ report from the principal secretary and the SP. The commission said that no report was filed