The Education Department has suspended Ashok Kumar, Assistant Professor (Geography) at Dharamsala Government Degree College, after he was named in an FIR related to the death of a student of the college.
The suspension was ordered by Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary (Education), pending the outcome of a departmental inquiry.
During the suspension period, Ashok Kumar’s headquarters will be the Directorate of Higher Education at the state capital and he has been directed not to leave the headquarters without prior permission of the Secretary (Education).
The action follows allegations levelled by the victim’s father, Vikram Kumar, who named the teacher in the FIR lodged at Dharamsala.
The suspension order notes that, as per media reports, the prima facie involvement of Ashok Kumar cannot be ruled out, warranting disciplinary proceedings to ascertain the facts.
The victim’s father has alleged that his daughter was subjected to ragging, obscene gestures, verbal abuse and intimidation, which caused severe psychological distress. A video clip of the student narrating her ordeal from her hospital bed later went viral on social media.
She passed away on December 26 while undergoing treatment at DMC, Ludhiana. The suspension has been ordered under sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.
