Death of college student in Dharamsala: Interim bail of teacher extended as police await medical board report

The District and Sessions Court of Kangra district at Dharamsala on Monday extended the interim bail of Asst Prof Ashok Kumar till January 17, after the local police failed to place a status report before the court in connection with the death of a college student in Dharamsala.

Ashok Kumar had moved an application for anticipatory bail on January 2 following the registration of an FIR against him and others at the Dharamsala police station. The case has been lodged under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009.

When the bail plea came up for hearing, the investigating officer (IO) informed the court that the investigation was at a sensitive stage, as crucial reports were still awaited. The IO submitted that a medical board had been constituted to determine the exact cause of the victim’s death and that the deceased student’s mobile phone had been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination. Since both reports were pending, the police were not in a position to file a comprehensive status report at this stage.

Taking note of the submissions made by the investigating officer, the court accepted the request for additional time, fixed January 17 as the next date of hearing and extended the interim bail granted to Ashok Kumar till then.

Meanwhile, police sources confirmed that three other college students, who have also been named as accused in the case, have filed separate applications seeking anticipatory bail. The court has issued notices to the police in these matters and directed them to submit replies by January 14.

In a significant development in the investigation, a psychiatrist from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bilaspur, has been included in the medical board to examine the victim’s treatment records and help ascertain the cause of death through what officials described as a “scientific analysis.”

Earlier, a five-member medical board had been constituted by Dr Milap Singh, Principal of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College and Hospital, Tanda, comprising senior faculty members of the institution.

Deputy Inspector General (Northern Range) Soumya Sambasivan told The Tribune that she had personally met members of the medical board and requested them to submit their findings within a week, preferably by the next Monday. She noted that the victim’s medical history spans over 1,000 pages of hospital records, requiring meticulous examination. “The medical board’s report is crucial for the ongoing probe,” the DIG said.