Family alleges professor’s role in former student’s death in Phagwara

The recent death of Akanksha S Nair, a young professional and former student of a private university in Phagwara, has taken a serious turn after her family alleged that a university professor may have been involved in the circumstances leading up to her death. Akanksha, who had been working with SpiceJet in Delhi, reportedly died on May 17 after falling off a hostel building on the university campus.

The incident, initially believed to be a personal tragedy, has now become the focus of a growing controversy following allegations made by her family. Speaking to the media outside the Civil Hospital mortuary in Phagwara, Akanksha’s father Surendra Kumar and other relatives claimed that Prof Bilji C Mathews, aged 40, had been in a relationship with Akanksha. According to the family, Mathews had allegedly assured her of marriage but later reneged on the promise after she learned that he was already married and had two children.

The family believes that this betrayal caused Akanksha immense emotional distress and directly contributed to her decision to end her life. The family further alleged that the initial statement recorded by the local police at Police Chowki Chaheru, under the Satnampura police station, was fabricated. According to them, statements were taken in Punjabi, a language they do not understand, which suggested that Akanksha was suffering from depression and that the family did not wish to pursue legal action.

However, after asking local journalists to translate the statement, they were reportedly shocked to find no mention of Prof Mathews or any request for legal proceedings, which they say contradicts their actual stance. Following this, the family created a scene outside the police outpost, accusing officials of misrepresenting their statements and shielding the professor, possibly in an effort to protect the university’s reputation.

Surendra Kumar later submitted a formal complaint in English, naming the professor and requesting a fair investigation. He alleged that the police officials, however, refused to formally accept the complaint. Seeking intervention from higher authorities, the family has also sent a detailed communication to the Chief Minister of Punjab, urging a transparent and impartial probe into what they describe as a suspicious and emotionally driven “suicide”.

The body of Akanksha was subjected to a postmortem examination conducted by a medical board at the Civil Hospital in Phagwara, comprising Dr Ashish Jaitley, Dr Darshan Badhan, and Dr Chamandeep Kaur. The final postmortem report is awaited and is expected to play a key role in the investigation.

When contacted, DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Dhillon confirmed that the police have received two complaints — one from the family of the deceased and another from the wife of Prof Mathews. He assured that the Phagwara police are conducting a free and fair investigation into the matter. DIG Dhillon noted that the results of the postmortem and further inquiry will help clarify the circumstances surrounding the death. The university administration has not yet issued a statement. Meanwhile, the case has drawn attention to the responsibilities of academic institutions in safeguarding the wellbeing of current and former students, as police investigation in underway.

Punjab