A 21-year-old college student from Sukhanwala village in Faridkot allegedly died by suicide by jumping into a canal after being harassed and humiliated by the library in-charge of his college.
Police have registered an FIR against the accused staff member following the recovery of the student’s body nearly a week after he went missing.
The victim, identified as Yogesh Sharma, a first-year BA student at Guru Nanak Government College – Rode in Moga district, went missing on April 25. According to a complaint filed by his father, Gursewak Pal, Yogesh had left home for college as usual but later called his family in distress that morning.
He informed his uncle that the library in-charge, identified as Hardeep Singh Brar, was demanding immediate payment of fees and the return of a library book. Despite the principal’s directions to issue roll numbers to students, the accused allegedly refused to provide Yogesh his roll number and threatened to strike his name off the college rolls.
The FIR also details alleged verbal abuse. When Yogesh pleaded for his roll number and requested to return the book the following Monday, the accused allegedly humiliated him.
“The accused told my son to go and die by jumping under a train or into a canal, claiming that once his name was struck off, no other college would admit him,” the father alleged in his complaint.
Driven to distress, Yogesh posted a final message on his Instagram account before taking the extreme step. The post reportedly read: “Get ‘Mota Sir’ of Rode College punished… Miss you family.”
Following the post, Yogesh allegedly jumped into the canal. After an intensive search, his body was recovered six days later from the Abohar Branch canal, lodged under a bridge between Tamkot and Ram Nagar Saunke villages.
The Sadar police in Faridkot have registered a case against the library in-charge under relevant sections for abetment of suicide.
Police are currently analysing the victim’s social media activity and mobile phone records as part of the ongoing investigation.
