After several rounds of protests by the Delhi University (DU) teachers and employees, the Delhi police on Thursday booked the suspended principal of BR Ambedkar College GK Arora for abetment of suicide. The case has been registered following the death of a college lab assistant, who after termination from the job had self-immolated outside Delhi secretariat.
On Thursday morning, Delhi police added another section of the Indian Penal Code in the first information report against Arora, booking him under 306 (abetment of suicide).
On 30 September, former lab assistant Pavitra Bhardwaj (36) had doused herself with kerosene outside Delhi Secretariat to protest the inordinate delay in getting justice for her pending case against GK Arora, the principal of Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, for allegedly sexually harassing her two years ago. On 7 October, she succumbed to her burns at the hospital.
Arora was suspended by the college governing body on 11 October till a judicial probe in the matter was completed. Two years ago Pavitra had accused Arora of repeatedly sexually harassing her.
After this a committee conducted the investigation and found Arora innocent. Thereafter, Pavitra was terminated by the college for making false allegations on the principal.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Arora said, ‘If I am innocent, I will be given clean chit. I don’t think I should be booked for abetment of suicide two years after her complaint. Rest, I have faith in God!’
A senior police official said: ‘We have booked Arora on the basis of the last statement given by Pavitra to the SDM. An arrest is likely to be made in the next few days.
We have instructed Arora not to leave Delhi without informing us.’