PU Scholar Electrocuted On Campus | Chandigarh News
CHANDIGARH: Jyoti, a 28-year-old PhD scholar at Panjab University, the routine walk from her hostel to the microbiology department on Tuesday turned out to be her last. The fourth year PhD scholar from Mahindergarh, Haryana, suffered a fatal electric shock while walking on the unpaved strip between the road and the adjoining parking area, a commonly used shortcut. The stretch has an electricity pole, multiple electrical boxes and underground power cables.A passerby tried to revive her and she was rushed to Govt Multi-Specialty Hospital Sector 16 but was declared dead. Jyoti was engaged and due to wed shortly. Police have registered an FIR. The body has been kept in GMSH-16 and postmortem examination is pending. According to the university’s preliminary version, Jyoti slipped on the rain-drenched ground and came in contact with an electrical installation. However, students have questioned this account and demanded that the administration produce evidence to support the claim.The campus erupted in grief and rage, with students flagging the mortal danger posed by electricity wires, particularly in the rain. A video shot by a passerby shows that rainwater had accumulated across the stretch.Students alleged some of the wiring appeared to be damaged and claimed that current had spread through the stagnant water. A few of them claimed that another student had suffered an electric shock at the same place earlier in the morning. They questioned why the area was neither barricaded nor power supply disconnected if the administration was aware of a potential electrical hazard.The victim’s family members, who reached the campus in the evening, also sought answers. In the presence of dean, student welfare Prof Y K Rawal and DSW (women) Prof Namita Gupta, Jyoti’s uncle questioned how the university could conclude that she slipped and touched an electrical installation without any proof. He demanded a transparent probe. Jyoti’s father earns Rs 12,000 a month as a bus driver. He is too grief-stricken to travel to Chandigarh. Her mother hasn’t been told of the tragedy.
