The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has suspended six students who were with second year integrated Masters student Mohini Misra, who died after falling from a building on the campus recently.
A proctoral committee enquiry found that the students had consumed alcohol on the day of incident, in violation of university norms. The committee also took a serious view of the fact that all of them were below the legally-permissible 21 years of age to consume alcohol.
The university’s Registrar B. Raja Shekhar said the five male students were suspended for a year, while a girl student was suspended for six months as she did not consume alcohol but was present at the party.
“The students were asked to depose before the committee where they had admitted to have consumed alcohol. Their version was also videographed and their parents informed of the enquiry developments,” Mr. Raja Shekhar said. The proctoral committee took several aspects into account before the decision, including the fact that the students could not reach Mohini for 35 minutes after she fell as they were inebriated. Their under-age for consuming alcohol and partying at an isolated place in violation of university norms had forced the university to take such a drastic decision.
The students — hailing from Hyderabad, West Bengal, Kerala and Pune — can return after serving their suspension period on giving an undertaking.
A separate police case is also probing the student’s death. Another independent committee of the university is also on with the mandate to suggest methods to contain alcoholism and parties in violation of varsity norms.
