Himachal: CPI(M) protests over Dharamshala college student's death, demands impartial probe

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 4 (ANI): The Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest in Himachal Pradesh over the death of a Dalit student in Dharamshala.
Protestors on Saturday demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident.
The protestors held banners that read, "Stop ragging in educational institutions".
The death of the second-year college student has triggered protests and calls for justice, with the family alleging harassment. Police have registered a case, and investigations are underway. The state government has assured strict action based on the inquiry committee's findings.
Meanwhile, the sessions court on Saturday granted interim bail to the accused professor Ashok Kumar in the ragging case related to the Government Degree College, Dharamshala. The court issued notice to the state, with the next hearing scheduled for January 12.
A 19-year-old second-year student of Government Degree College, Dharamshala, died during treatment in Ludhiana in December. Her parents alleged that she was subjected to ragging, assault and sexual harassment at the college, leading to severe mental distress and deterioration of her health.
In its interim order, the court directed that the applicant shall not be arrested in connection with the FIR registered under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009, at Dharamshala Police Station, subject to furnishing a personal bond of Rs 25,000.
However, the court also directed that the applicant shall join the investigation as and when required by the police.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim's father, police registered an FIR against three fellow students and a college professor under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act, 2009.
Police said the case was registered based on the complaint, in which the victim's father alleged that on September 18, 2025, three female students assaulted and intimidated his daughter, while a professor sexually harassed her.
"Due to these reasons, his daughter was under severe stress, and her health deteriorated. She was treated at various hospitals and later died during treatment at DMC, Ludhiana, on December 26, 2025," police said.
The incident has also drawn the attention of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which has taken serious cognisance of the student's death at Government Degree College, Dharamshala.
Following media reports, the UGC Anti-Ragging Helpline filed a suo motu complaint. The college administration, however, has maintained that the case is a death and not a suicide. According to the UGC, a police enquiry into the incident is currently underway. (ANI)