Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) has strongly denied rumours that a girl student had filed a sexual harassment complaint against deceased PhD scholar J Muthukrishnan – who committed suicide on March 13.
A press statement issued by the GSCASH stated the news to be false information. Delhi Police have also sent a notice to the JNU administration and faculty members to join the investigation and clarify all allegations of discrimination levelled by Muthukrishnan's father.
27-year-old Muthukrishnan, who went by the name 'Rajini Krish' on Facebook, was a Dalit PhD scholar native belonging to Salem in Tamil Nadu and was an active member in many Dalit movements.
GSCASH also condemned attempts to malign the deceased student and stated: "We would like to inform that no such complaint was ever lodged with us and all such attempts to malign the departed student should be condemned."
Meanwhile, Delhi Police are focusing on finding the trigger that prompted Muthukrishnan to take the extreme step.
An FIR under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was registered in the case of the alleged suicide by the student.
Later, a protest was staged in the JNU campus on Thursday, when Ambedkarite Student Organisation agitated against the "institutionalised murder of Muthu".
They also demanded setting up of an inquiry committee to look into the case and an effective mechanism to prevent discrimination against marginalised students.