Student's suicide at Sharda University sparks protest; Professors accused of harassment in note

A 20-year-old second-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student at Sharda University was found dead by suicide in her hostel room on the night of July 18. The student, a resident of Gurugram, Haryana, left behind a handwritten suicide note in which she accused two faculty members—Mahender Sir and Shairg Ma’am—of mental harassment and public humiliation. The note stated, “If I die, the teachers of PCP and Dental Material will be responsible for this. Mahender Sir and Shairg Ma’am are responsible for my death. They mentally harassed me. They insulted me. I have been under stress for a long time. I want them to suffer the same. Sorry, I cannot live anymore.”

Following a call from university authorities, police reached the hostel on the Knowledge Park campus, secured the area, and sent the body for post-mortem. A forensic team collected evidence from the scene. Based on the contents of the note and a formal complaint from the student's family, police registered an FIR and booked five university staff members under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including abetment to suicide. Two of the accused faculty members were arrested and suspended from duty pending investigation.

The student's family alleged that she had been falsely accused by a professor of forging signatures on academic assignments and lab work. According to her brother, their father had visited the campus on Monday to speak with the professor and the head of department. He added that after Thursday morning, the family had no contact with her, and later learned that she had been humiliated in class, where she was called “an expert at forgery” and allegedly threatened with failure.

Protests broke out on campus after the incident, with hundreds of students, the victim’s relatives, and local residents gathering outside the university. The victim’s mother, Sunita, staged an overnight protest at the university and said, “Call CM Yogi and PM Modi. I’ve been sitting here since 9 pm. I will not leave until my daughter gets justice. Do what you want, burn me, shut this place. I won’t move.” She also alleged that police used force against the grieving family and protesting students, and said that many students were now scared and wanted to return home.

Police stated that two individuals had been taken into custody for questioning and that further investigation was underway. Officers said they had advised the university administration to implement proper internal mechanisms to prevent such incidents. Police later facilitated a meeting between the student’s family and university authorities, and confirmed that the situation on campus was under control.