Parents and students gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Sunday, July 23, to seek justice against the suicide of Aditya Prabhu, a 19-year-old student of PES University.
The protest aimed to "appeal to the legal system and education ministry to address the harrowing circumstances leading to Aditya's untimely death", said a press release shared by the deceased’s family.
Aditya, who was studying BTech Computer Science at Bengaluru's PES University, committed suicide by jumping from a building on the college campus after he was accused of cheating in an examination. Following his death, his mother clarified that Aditya had forgotten to remove his mobile phone while entering the exam hall but the device was on airplane mode during the exam.
The deceased's parents also accused the university of mental harassment and abetment of suicide in a social media post that gained support from a large number of students and alumni. A case has also been booked against the college administration following the allegations.
Demands
The protestors put forward a number of demands on Sunday in order to ensure justice for Aditya and his family.
They urged PES University to publicly name and suspend the faculty members involved in the incident leading to Aditya's death.
Moreover, they also called for the formation of an impartial committee by the education ministry to thoroughly investigate PES University's role in Aditya’s demise.
"We also implore them to investigate other instances of alleged malpractice by PES University officials against their students in the past," the press release added.
Lastly, the protestors appealed to the University Grant Commission (UGC) and other educational authorities to bring in policy-level changes prioritising the mental health and well-being of the students in higher education institutes.
A number of parents and students from colleges across the city attended the protest. A police investigation is currently underway into the matter.
