done...Slug: student’s suicideAurangabad: Several college authorities here have vehemently opposed the stand taken by Satara police in booking a college principal and a teacher in connection with the suicide of a student at a nursing college.In separate memorandums submitted to the city police and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, college heads and teachers have demanded quashing of the first information report lodged in connection with the incident that indicts the college authorities.Asserting that strict vigilance during an examination is not a crime, college authorities said the action taken by police would sent wrong signal among the student community.On April 10, Sachin Santosh Wagh, a student from MIT nursing college here, had jumped from the third floor of the college building after he was caught cheating in the examination. A day after the incident, Sachin succumbed to the injuries, and police booked college authorities on the charges of abetment of suicide, following a complaint lodged by Wagh’s father.Santosh Bhosle, principal of the Maharashtra Institute of Technology, said the police action against college authorities has sent shock waves among local academic circle.“Ensuring the conduct of examinations in a fair manner is the prime duty of college authorities and strict vigilance is part and parcel of it. The action taken by police would send a wrong signal among the student community as well. A section of students may get the impression that they can get away with any misconduct during examinations by exerting undue pressure on invigilators,” he said.Head of another reputed college said the charges being framed against the nursing college authorities have definitely dented the morale of many teachers.“It could be a contagious feeling among students to threaten invigilators if caught during cheating. Police should immediately retract from their stand. Otherwise, the incident would have far-reaching negative impact on the psyche of both students and teachers,” he said.Bamu vice-chancellor B A Chopade could not be reached for his comments. Another senior official said the university was in support of the college authorities in the current incident. “Every examination centre must have a zero-tolerance policy towards malpractices during examination considering the larger interests of students. We oppose the action taken by police to frame college staff in connection with the suicide,” he said.When contacted, Bharat Kakde, senior police inspector at Satara police station, said, “The FIR in connection with the suicide was lodged as per the charges levelled by the father of the deceased. The role of college authorities is being probed. Based on the probe only, we will file that actual charge-sheet.”A few students had accused the college authorities of intimidating the deceased student with dire consequences such as rustication, besides summoning his parents. When contacted, the college authorities refused to comment.Sachin, who was a first-year BSc (nursing) student, was the only son to his parents. His father works with the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) as a class-III employee. Sachin had sustained multiple fractures, including head and spinal injuries, after he jumped from the window of the staircase leading to the terrace of the four-storey building.

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