Probe ordered into PES varsity student suicides by deputy commissioner

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The deputy commissioner (DC) and district magistrate (DM) of Bengaluru, Dayananda KA, has issued a notice to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, urging an investigation into the series of student suicides at PES University.

The notice, dated February 20 and issued in Kannada, stems from a complaint filed with the commission citing students' suicides attributed to alleged harsh treatment by faculty and management, toxic classroom environments, and the use of harsh words at PES University.

The directive instructs the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to provide a detailed report on the actions taken in response to the complaint within seven days.

This notice follows a complaint initially filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to the Bengaluru DC.

It's worth noting that the NCPCR had previously issued a notice to the Bengaluru DC over two months ago, on December 12, requiring a response within seven days.

PES University has unfortunately experienced three student suicides in the past eight months, raising significant concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of students within the institution.

The most recent case involves the alleged suicide of 19-year-old BBA student Vignesh Karupuswamy at PES University's Electronic City Campus on January 30, 2024.

Before this, Surya M Achar, a third-year BTech Computer Science student, took his own life in October 2023, and Aditya Prabhu, a 19-year-old student, tragically jumped to his death in July 2023.