Dalit rights organisations on Friday demanded the arrest of three senior students and a college professor, and accountability from authorities, following the death of a 19-year-old Dalit female student who they allege was subjected to sustained ragging, sexual harassment and psychological abuse at a government college in Himachal Pradesh.
Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) and its women’s collective, Mahila Kaamkaji Manch (MKM), said the student of Government Degree College, Dharamshala, died after enduring months of harassment that was ignored by the college administration and state authorities.
In a statement issued on Friday, the groups described the case as a “grave instance of caste- and gender-based institutional violence” and said her suffering was overlooked until it culminated in her death.
According to a complaint filed by the girl’s father and a first information report (FIR) registered by police, the girl, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste community, was allegedly subjected to ragging, intimidation, humiliation and physical assault on campus. The FIR names three senior students — Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika — for their alleged role in the abuse.
The complaint also names Professor Ashok Kumar, a faculty member at the college, accusing him of sexually inappropriate behaviour and harassment. The allegations include abuse of academic authority and conduct of a sexual nature, the organisations said.
DASAM said the alleged actions attract provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, including sections relating to caste-based insult, intimidation and sexual harassment of Dalit women.
The FIR also includes offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, such as sexual harassment, causing hurt and criminal intimidation, which the groups say must be read alongside provisions of the SC/ST Act that mandate enhanced punishment for crimes committed with knowledge of a victim’s caste identity.
The organisations said the girl had been hospitalised repeatedly and showed signs of severe psychological distress before her death, pointing to what they described as a complete failure of the institution to provide counselling or protection. They said this amounted to a violation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and of the constitutional right to life with dignity.
Holding the college administration responsible, DASAM said provisions of the SC/ST Act that penalise neglect of duty by public servants should be invoked against officials who failed to act on complaints or warning signs. The group also said the girl’s family was entitled to protection, relief and compensation under the law.
The alleged ragging also falls under the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009, while the accusations against the professor invoke the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the statement said.
The organisations demanded the immediate arrest of all accused, noting that anticipatory bail is barred under the SC/ST Act. They also called for the resignation of the college principal and the state’s education minister, the termination of the accused professor, and the expulsion of the three students.
In addition, they sought independent inquiries by the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women, a time-bound judicial probe into institutional responsibility, and compensation and rehabilitation for the girl’s family.
Incidents of violence against Dalit women in educational institutions deter others from pursuing higher education and deepen social exclusion, the groups said, calling the case a systemic failure rather than an isolated tragedy.
The post Rights groups seek action after death of 19-year-old Dalit student in Himachal Pradesh college appeared first on Maktoob media.
