AIIMS suicide case: Parents move HC seeking CBI probe into son`s death

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will Tuesday hear a plea by parents seeking CBI inquiry into the death of their son, an MBBS student who reportedly committed suicide in the AIIMS campus three years ago. Justice VK Jain will hear the plea of the parents seeking the court`s direction to the government and management of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) seeking financial compensation for the death of their 24 year-old son. Gulab Chand Ahirwal and his wife Shanti Devi, who hail from Madhya Pradesh, moved the high court saying that AIIMS failed to conduct proper inquiry into the death of their son Balmukund Bharati who died March 3, 2010. They sought an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case. On March 3, 2010, Balmukund, a final-year MBBS student, reportedly hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his hostel room after failing in his exams. "Respondent AIIMS and other authorities have failed to properly investigate the exact reason for the death of their son and they have also failed to pay any compensation till date for untimely and unnatural demise of Balmukund," the parents of the late student said in the plea. In the plea, the petitioners alleged that the student was discriminated against by faculty members on the basis of caste and that he was failed by the teacher concerned. "Organised caste discrimination is rampant in the AIIMS which is within the knowledge of AIIMS administration and the authorities have not taken any steps," the plea said. They claimed that letters have been written to the Madhya Pradesh chief minister and other concerned authorities besides the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and also to the National Commission for SC and ST. The parents said nothing has been done so far. The plea added that due to caste-based discrimination at AIIMS, the health ministry in 2006 had appointed a three-member committee under University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Sukhadeo Thorat to probe the allegations. The petitioners referred to the committee report in which it was said that the institute, despite requests, has not taken any initiative to arrange remedial coaching in English, basic courses or any other spheres for SC/ST students as is required by central government educational institution.