The suicide of Sushant Rohilla, a student of Amity Law School, Delhi has understandably provoked a strong reaction amongst the law student community. At a protest held yesterday, over 500 students demanded drastic changes in the functioning of the college along with immediate resignations of the Director and one of the senior-most professors at ALSD.
Background
Sushant Rohilla was a 3rd year student of B.A, LL.B (Hons.) at Amity Law School affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Described by his friends as a meritorious and bright student, Sushant was quite clearly a favourite amongst all his peers. He was an active participant in extra curricular and co-curricular activities, and was the President of the Debating Society.
From October 2015 to February 2016, Sushant was closely involved in the organization of ALSD’s annual National Moot Court Competition. An accident in 2015 had led to a severe foot injury. The combination of organising the moot and the foot injury meant that Sushant was unable to achieve the 65% minimum attendance requirement to be eligible to take the end of semester exams.
According to the BCI’s Rules of Legal Education of 2008 one requires a minimum of 70% attendance to appear for the end of semester examinations. This criteria can be relaxed to 65% in a particular subject(s) (provided attendance is 70% for the rest) as per the discretion of the institute’s Director.
According to students at ASLD, Sushant Rohilla was one of 19 students who had also failed to achieve the minimum attendance. As per the students, these nineteen had been assured by Director B.P. Singh Sehgal and Dr. Isheeta Rutabhasini that although they would not be able to take the examinations this year, they could do so next year without having to repeat another year. However, this could not be independently verified, nor is it clear if either Sehgal or Rutabhasini had the authority to do so.
Sushant, who was upset at not being able to sit for the exams, sent an e-mail to Ashok Chauhan, Founder and President of the Amity Group of Institutions seeking help. The contents of the e-mail have been published on Facebook by Sushant’s uncle.
He received no response.
In July 2016, at the time of re-registration into the new academic year, Sushant along with the 18 students was informed that all of them were ineligible for admission into the new academic year. According to our sources, 13 of these 18 students have since withdrawn their admission from the college.
However, Sushant went into depression, and on August 10, 2016, committed suicide.
The Uprising
Yesterday, over 500 students organized a protest outside the main gate of Amity University where the law school is housed. This protest, described as a “students’ initiative to bring about change” was to demand the immediate resignation of Director B.P. Singh Sehgal and Dr. Isheeta Rutabhasini.
Along with the resignation, the students also demanded:
Statement issued by Amity Law School
In a statement issued by the college authorities, ALSD has stated that,
“All students of Amity Law School, Delhi and the management as well as the whole Amity fraternity are extremely sad on the loss of our dear student Sushant Rohilla. It is a great loss to Amity Law school and the Amity fraternity as a whole.
Amity Law School, Delhi, is affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh IP University, Delhi.
The students were detained as per the decision of Guru Gobind Singh IP University and in that Amity Law School itself had absolutely no role.
The Law school officials had gone to meet the bereaved parents and pay condolence. The parents of the deceased have expressed that there is no fault of Amity Law School Delhi in this tragic incident.”
Prof. Dilip K. Bandyopadhyay, Chief Adviser, Amity Group and Former Vice Chancellor of GGSIPU spoke to the protesters and asked them to send any proof of harassment or mismanagement by the authorities seeking time till Friday to take a decision.