Professor suspended amid fears that teenager committed suicide over cheating accusation

Officials said she never returned home. Her parents began searching for her after a classmate informed them of the incident and later registered a missing person’s complaint at the Doda police station.

A day later, after daily wagers working on a bridge over the Chenab River informed the family that the woman had been seen in the area the previous day, her parents searched the spot and found her footwear and dupatta on the riverbank, leading them to suspect suicide.

The student has yet to be traced. The incident has meanwhile triggered allegations of negligence against the college, with her family and classmates alleging that public humiliation and the threat of disqualification drove her to take the extreme step.

The third of five children of a labourer, the victim was considered a good student, her father Bashir Ahmed said.

The UT’s Higher Education Department has ordered a three-member panel to probe the incident and submit its report within a week.

“In the meantime, Prof Manzoor Ahmad has been placed under suspension with immediate effect,” an official said, adding that he would remain attached to the office of the Director Colleges, Jammu and Kashmir, until further orders.

When contacted, Manzoor said the invigilators had found the woman carrying a mobile phone during the examination and asked him to fill out a form to record the incident, claiming his role was limited to getting it signed by the student.