CHENNAI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has recently asked Sree Saastha Institute of Engineering Technology to submit a forensic report verifying the signature on the appointment letter and joining report of T Vasanthavannan, a former faculty of the college, who killed himself last year after the college refused to return his academic certificates.
This has come to light through a letter sent by AICTE to KM Karthik, president of All India Private Colleges Employees Union (AIPCEU) on May 11. While the mother of the deceased alleged that the college had given no appointment letter to
Vasanthavannan, the management had submitted one to the AICTE. Therefore, the council asked the institute to prove lack of foul play by submitting a forensic report on the signature.
Illegal retention of academic certificates by the college had allegedly led to the suicide of the assistant professor. When Vasanthavanan requested the college to relieve him, the management had allegedly withheld his certificates and threatened him not to fight the management, alleged members of his family and former colleagues. They further alleged that he was repeatedly harassed ultimately pushing him to kill himself.
Apart from asking for the forensic report, the council remarked, “After hearing both sides (parent of the deceased and institution representatives), the council is of the opinion that the Mr T Vasanthavannan might have had some health issues. However, it appears that the institute also had harassed him by not giving his education qualification certificates (sic).”
The AICTE has asked the institute to submit the forensic report by June 6.