Professor suspended after cheating charge sparks suicide fears in J&K college

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has suspended an assistant professor and ordered a departmental inquiry after an 18-year-old college student allegedly died by suicide following a cheating accusation during an examination in Doda district.

The student, who appeared for an examination on the afternoon of January 16, was accused of carrying a mobile phone into the examination hall. According to officials, Manzoor Ahmed, an assistant professor of commerce at a government college in Doda, was serving as deputy superintendent at the centre at the time.

Officials said the student was asked to sign a form recording the alleged violation and was subsequently directed to leave the examination hall. She never returned home.

Her parents began searching for her after a classmate informed them of the incident. A missing person’s complaint was later lodged at the Doda police station. The following day, daily wagers working on a bridge over the Chenab River told the family they had seen the student in the area. When her parents searched the riverbank, they found her footwear and dupatta, heightening fears that she may have jumped into the river.

The student has not yet been traced.

The incident has triggered serious allegations of negligence against the college authorities. The family and several classmates have alleged that the public accusation, coupled with the fear of disqualification, caused severe distress and drove her to take the extreme step.

The victim, the third of five children of a daily wage labourer, was a diligent student, her father Bashir Ahmed said, describing her as hardworking and academically sincere.

In response, the Union Territory’s Higher Education Department has constituted a three-member inquiry committee and directed it to submit its report within a week. Pending the outcome, Professor Manzoor Ahmed has been placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached to the office of the Director of Colleges, Jammu and Kashmir.

Ahmed said the invigilators had found the student carrying a mobile phone and had asked him to formally record the incident. He maintained that his role was limited to filling out the form and obtaining the student’s signature.

The case has renewed scrutiny of examination protocols, student support mechanisms, and the handling of alleged misconduct within educational institutions in the region.