Jobless teacher jumps into canal, blames Punjab minister in suicide note

Tribune News Service

Ropar, October 21

A 35-year-old woman protester reportedly jumped into the Sirhind canal in the wee hours today.

The victim has been identified as Balwinder Kaur. She was among 483 members of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front who had been sitting on a dharna near the residence of Education Minister Harjot Bains at Gambhirpur village for the past two months.

Reason for protest

• Balwinder Kaur was among the 483 teachers staging a dharna in front of the house of Minister Harjot Bains for two months.
• They had been given appointment letters but couldn’t join their jobs due to a large number of petitions in the court.

Balwinder reportedly left a suicide note alleging that the minister was responsible for his death and was claimed to be under depression.

However, acting on the statement of her brother Hardev Singh, the police have booked her husband Supreet Singh and her father-in-law Bagh Singh.

Had no contact

The government is exploring all the possible remedies to address the issue. As I had no direct contact with the victim, I won’t be able to comment over the extreme step taken by her. Harjot Singh Bains, Education minister

Ropar SSP Vivek Sheel Soni said they had booked Balwinder’s husband and her father-in-law under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC.

He said a suicide note, handed over by Supreet, in which the victim had named the minister was also being probed.

In October 2021, the process to recruit 1,158 professors and librarians was initiated. In December 2021, 607 selected candidates were handed over the appointment letters. While 124 of them joined their duties, the remaining 483 couldn’t join due to a large number of petitions filed against the recruitment.

On August 22, 2022, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the recruitment following which the state government filed a Letter Patent Appeal against the decision of the Single Bench.

Hardev alleged that Supreet had been harassing Balwinder for the past five years after she gave birth to a girl child. She also suffered miscarriage twice and was under depression, claimed Hardev, adding that before ending her life, Balwinder also left a voice message stating that she couldn’t face more harassment.

Ropar SHO Pawan Kumar said Balwinder’s two-wheeler was found near old bridge on the Sirhind canal around 1 am today. Her body could not be recovered so far, he said.

Opposition leaders Pargat Singh and Harsimrat Kaur Badal attcked the government over the incident.

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