A new twist in the suicide case stemming from a fee dispute; forensic investigation exposes the college administration's claims, handwriting in the answer sheet found to be someone else's, SIT adds new charges.
Bhiwani/Chandigarh: A shocking revelation has emerged in the suicide case of a 22-year-old Dalit college student in Loharu, Bhiwani district of Haryana, last year. The investigation by the police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has revealed that the handwriting on the answer sheet of the exam in question does not belong to the deceased student. This revelation has exposed the claims of the college administration.
New Sections Added After FSL Report
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has confirmed that the handwriting on the answer sheet does not match the student’s handwriting. Based on this scientific evidence, the SIT has added new charges against college director Hanuman and his son Rahul under sections 338 (Forgery of valuable security or will, etc.), 336 (Forgery – making false documents with intent to cause harm or defraud) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
What is the whole case?
The deceased student’s family had alleged that the college administration did not allow her to sit for the BA (5th semester) examination due to non-payment of fees. The family also claimed that the accused Rahul used to harass the student over the phone, which led her to commit suicide. The college authorities, however, had rejected these allegations, claiming that the student had appeared for the examination. But now the forensic investigation has changed the narrative.
SIT Submits Report to Court
The SIT, led by DSP Vikas Kumar of the State Crime Branch, filed its status report in the Bhiwani court on December 5. The DSP stated in the report, “On August 13, the student’s 5th-semester answer sheets and her diary were sent to the forensic lab in Delhi for handwriting matching and authenticity verification. On September 8, we received the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report, which clearly stated that the handwriting on the answer sheets did not match that of the deceased.”
Following the receipt of the report, new sections such as 338, 336, and 340 (using forged documents) were added against Hanuman and his son Rahul in the FIR registered on December 27, 2024 (which was earlier under sections 108, 3(5), and 238-B of the BNS). The investigation in the case is still ongoing.
SC Commission’s intervention changed the direction of the investigation
Earlier, the former investigating officer (IO), DSP Vivek Chaudhary, had claimed in his report that the student had committed suicide fearing that her parents would find out about her alleged ‘relationship’ with the accused Rahul. He had tried to give a clean chit to college director Hanuman, his son Rahul, daughter Sanju, and Principal Sarita.
However, an application was filed on March 23 to acquit the accused, which the National Commission for Scheduled Castes took suo motu cognizance of. On May 14, the commission found the previous investigation unsatisfactory and procedurally flawed. The commission had clearly ordered that the student’s answer sheets, hall ticket, and call details be examined by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL).
The commission had directed that no closure report would be filed in court until the forensic results were received. Only after this was the investigating officer changed and a fresh investigation began.
Demand to cancel the bail of the accused
The student’s lawyer, Rajat Kalsan, said that he has today argued in court for the cancellation of the bail application of the accused father and son and demanded that the police also investigate the role of the college owner. The deceased girl’s father said that the FSL report has exposed the college management’s false claim that his daughter was allowed to sit for the exam. He demanded, “The police should investigate who sat for the exam in my daughter’s place, and strict action should be taken against all those involved in this conspiracy.”
Rajan Chaudhary
Courtesy: Hindi News