DU ex-lab assistant death: Juducial probe into self-immolation

New Delhi: Accused of being insensitive in dealing with cases of sexual offences against women, Delhi government today ordered a judicial probe into the self- immolation of a sacked employee of a Delhi University college who had alleged sexual harassment by its principal. Officials said retired additional district judge B L Garg has been asked to conduct the inquiry into “all aspects and circumstances” leading self-immolation by 35-year-old Pavitra Bhardwaj on September 30 at gate number 6 of Delhi Secretariat. [caption id=“attachment_1162749” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. AFP. [/caption] She had sustained 92 per cent burns and was taken to LNJP Hospital where she died on Monday after battling for life for seven days. Bhardwaj was a laboratory assistant in Bhim Rao Ambedkar College in Yamuna Vihar which is a fully-funded college by Delhi government. The government announcement of the probe came a day after BJP held a demonstration outside Dikshit’s 3 Motilal Nehru residence accusing her dispensation of “being insensitive” towards cases of sexual violence against women. The officials said Garg has been requested to file the inquiry report within three weeks. The city government had yesterday ordered a probe into the incident by Higher Education director S P Dixit but officials said the judicial probe superseded the earlier investigation. The BJP has been attacking the government following death of Bhardwaj, alleging that the incident highlighted the inaccessibility and insensitivity of the Delhi government in addressing concerns of women in the city. “It is well-known that the Delhi University lab attendant had to run from pillar to post to lodge complaints of sexual harassment against her. But, no one from the Delhi government responded to her complaints,” Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel alleged. Members of Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), including its president Nandita Narain, yesterday had blamed the death of the former lab attendant on the administration’s failure to take timely action. Amid protest by BJP and a section of Delhi university students and teachers, Dikshit had yesterday taken up the issue with Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi and DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh. Police had recovered a purported suicide note from the spot, where she had doused herself with kerosene, in which she had said she was taking the extreme step to protest alleged physical and mental harassment by Principal G K Arora and another staff of the college. She was sacked from the college two years ago. PTI