4-member Panel to Probe Ragging Death at ANU

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday constituted an inquiry panel to probe the death of Rishiteswari, a first year B.Arch student who committed suicide in her hostel room at the Architecture College on the Acharya Nagarjuna University premises in Guntur district on July 14.

The four-member panel will be headed by retired IAS officer Balasubrahmanyam, Consultant, AFRC. Prof Veeraiah, Vice-Chancellor of the Vikram Simhapuri University, Nellore, Prof Balakrishnam Naidu from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati and Prof P Vijaya Lakshmi, Registrar, Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswavidyalayam, Tirupati are the other members of the panel.

“The Committee is requested to submit their report within five days of date of issue of order to take further action in the matter. Report must include assessment of action taken and recommendation on further action to be taken in specific case, and also to prevent such incidents in future,” a GO issued in this regard stated. The university administration has already ordered an internal probe into the incident. A fact-finding committee with senior faculty members has been asked to  submit the report in 15 days.

A few senior students are being accused of stalking and harassing Rishiteswari for some months. The Pedakakani police registered cases under section 306 IPC against three students, including a girl, for abetting the suicide.Rishiteswari, a native of Vijayawada, had lived in Warangal where her father Murali Krishna is working as a marketing executive in a private firm.