Mangaluru: “My husband committed suicide only because he was mentally harassed by the college management for three years. His only crime was he was a Scheduled Caste. In every meeting, some of the management members openly told my husband Sudesh to quit the Principal’s post. Unable to tolerate the harassment, he was forced to commit suicide,” laments Sudesh’s wife Snehalatha.
Sudesh, principal of Smt D Chennamma PU College at Madapura in Kodagu committed suicide in a lodge near the KSRTC bus-stand in Mangaluru on Thursday. A case of abetment to suicide and SC/ST Atrocities Act has been booked against the college authorities.
Sudesh who had worked initially in Mangaluru, joined Chennamma College in 2000 as a political science lecturer. About three years ago, he was elevated to the post of Principal. But many in the management were allegedly unhappy with Sudesh being appointed to the post as he was from a Scheduled Caste.
“Sudesh was mentally harassed by some in the college management. They would question every move of his including his leave applications. If Sudesh took leave citing the death of a family member, the management would ask him to furnish death certificate! He would narrate his pain over phone to me after the meetings,” Snehalatha said.
She said the latest reason for harassment was a missing demand draft. “It is said that four DDs that were said to have been kept with the applications (of applicants for lecturer post) were missing and the management targeted Sudesh. They held him responsible for the missing DDs and started blaming him,” she added.
Sudesh who had come to Mangaluru on January 16, did not return to Madapura on January 18. He had sent a message to his wife stating he was sad and would commit suicide.
His wife consoled him and asked him to take two days leave and be at home. He was in his house till Wednesday and at night left for Madapura. He booked a room in a lodge and committed suicide.
