Varsity ignored harassment plaints: Students, kin protest

GREATER NOIDA: Protests erupted on the campus of Sharda University in Greater Noida on Saturday morning after the death of a 21-year-old medical student, as agitated family members and students gathered in large numbers, accusing the university administration of ignoring repeated complaints of harassment by faculty members.

- Maria Khan

The protesters chanted slogans, demanding justice and accountability, and alleged that the faculty was trying to shield the accused. A minor scuffle ensued when students and police clashed as officers moved to defuse tensions. Police later spoke to the protesters to ensure no violence takes place.

The family, who rushed from their residence in Gurugram, alleged that university officials failed to act on previous complaints made by the student and did not inform the police even after discovering her body.

Demanding stringent action against the university staff for “harassing” his daughter, the student's father, in the FIR, alleged that she was “tortured” and “evidence regarding her suicide was also destroyed.