NHRC summons govt officials to file report of inquiry on the alleged suicide of Erode professor

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 the report of inquiry on the alleged suicide of an assistant professor in Erode.

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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 extreme step owing to distress from payment arrears and harassment by 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 its registry had issued a final reminder. "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 26.03.2021 to file the action taken report," it said. In case the requisite reports are filed on or before March 19, personal appearance of the concerned authority shall be waived off.