Mohanpur, April 9: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata (IISER-K) authorities on Saturday made an official statement condoling the alleged suicide of researcher Subhadip Roy, five days after his body was found inside a laboratory at the campus, in which it claimed that the demised researcher or any of his friends not “formally” or “informally” brought up any problem to authorities that has a system to settle thesis related grievances.
On April 4 Subhadip Roy a final year research scholar in the integrated Ph.D., programne, who was working as a Senior Research Fellow with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), was found dead inside the physics laboratory.
Security staff broke open the door to recover the body along with a suicide note that accused his guide responsible
Subhadip Roy
for his death. Some empty containers of pet medicine were also found near the body. Two days later his mother Ranjana Roy filed a police complaint against his guide Professor Chiranjib Mitra for abetting to commit suicide.
In a written statement issued on behalf of IISER Kolkata on the death, the head of the Physical Science department Ayan Banerjee, a Professor, said that the department has in place a system of reporting problems with progress in thesis research, including raising any issues or problems with research supervisors.
“No such issues were brought formally or informally” by researcher Subhadip or by his supervisor or any of his close friends…”, the statement reads.
The delayed statement on which the students and researchers raised many questions also states that the institute monitors the research status of students through the Research Progress Committee, which did not notice any significant “red flag” in Subhadip’s work except for the delay like many others due to last two year’s Covid pandemic situation.
“As per information available, he (Subhadip) was planning on submitting his thesis this summer. While his work, like anyone else, was impacted by the pandemic and laboratory closures over the past two years, there was no other significant red flag that was officially reported to the Research Progress Committee or the Head of the Department”, official release states.
“I would advise the head of the department and other professors to make a soul search to check whether they are at all honest to their jobs to help researchers” – Ranjana Roy, mother of Subhadip Roy
The statement in other terms tried to stand beside the accused professor Chiranjib Mitra claiming that there has been no record of any charges of abuse or harassment against Professor Mitra earlier from any of his past or present students.
“We would like these investigations to proceed in a fair and impartial manner, based on evidence and facts, without being influenced by unsubstantiated views” the department’s head stated in the release.
Reacting to the statement Ranjana Roy, mother of Subhadip said, “It appears that the head of the department in a deliberate manner has tried to protect the accused professor. I am not concerned about how much funds he has garnered or how meritorious he is…My son made a serious allegation that he reads no thesis”.
Ranjana Roy
“I would advise the head of the department and other professors to make a soul search to check whether they are at all honest to their jobs to help researchers”, Ranjana Roy said.
A research scholar said that the statement is an eyewash. “The system about which the HoD spoken is not at all transparent. Literally, there is no one with whom we can share the problem without fear of disclosure”, he said.
“Only due to such untold fear and non-cooperation of supervisors and authorities as many as 122 students enrolled with higher educational institutes like IISER, IIT and others under the Union government committed suicide between 2014 and 2021, and no committee and no government has ever shown any interest to find out the actual reason because the truth would be hard to digest”, a researcher added. “Subhadip’s suicide will just increase the number. We know that nothing will change”, the research scholar said dejectedly.
Meanwhile, the New Delhi-based All India Research Scholars Association has appealed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure an unbiased police investigation so that the mystery behind the suspected suicide of the IISER-Kolkata research scholar is unveiled.
Earlier on Saturday accused professor was removed from the post of faculty in charge (security) owing to the pending probe against him, AN IISER K official said.