Shillong:
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has alleged that discrimination drove his niece Dana Silva M Sangma to commit suicide at her college in Manesar near Gurgaon.
The 21-year-old first year MBA student of Amity University was found hanging from the fan of her hostel room on Tuesday. She reportedly took the extreme step after she was accused of cheating in an exam. According to one of her classmates, when she protested, the invigilator humiliated her and tore her answer sheet.
Dana's last rites were performed at her home town Tura in West Garo Hills district of the state on Thursday.
"Few people who are completely insensitive to the need of positive contribution for strengthening the country continue to indulge in certain actions which amount to that kind of situations where there is discrimination of the youth from North-East. On certain occasions, as I have said, it amounts to atrocities against the youth of North-East. We must put an end to these kinds of practices," Mr Sangma said at the funeral.
Authorities at Amity University Manesar, situated on the Delhi-Jaipur highway (NH8) have denied the charges. "We don't see how these allegations are being made. Amity has colleges in all states and abroad. We cannot afford such a thing, " said Deputy Vice-Chancellor B S Suhag.
A case under the SC/ST Act has been registered against Amity University authorities after Dana's family lodged an FIR. Dana's mobile phone and answer sheet have been seized by the police and a probe is on to ascertain if she was using her mobile during the exam on Tuesday. Her classmates and faculty members are being questioned by the police to identify the reasons behind Dana's suicide.
NDTV has received phone calls from students who claim to be Dana's classmates. They say they have been threatened by the university to not speak out. The probe is expected to unravel what exactly happened, but that will be cold comfort for the family that mourns the death of its daughter.