D K Shivakumar demands judicial probe into suicide of retired professor

NS Ashok Kumar was the registrar of Garden City University at the time of his death

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of retired Bangalore University professor NS Ashok Kumar.

Shivakumar claimed that Kumar (64), who was found hanging at his Mico Layout home on November 8, had paid Rs 2.5 crore to “influential people” in exchange to get appointed as vice-chancellor to four new universities.

“He borrowed loans and was made to wait 5-6 months. But, he did not get the position. Therefore, he took the extreme step. This is what’s being discussed widely,” Shivakumar told reporters. “There were influential people, the minister...they all seem to be involved,” he said, without naming anyone.

Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan is the higher education minister.

On November 7, a day before Kumar was found dead, the state government appointed vice-chancellors to four new universities - Gomathi Devi L (Maharani Cluster University), Harish Ramaswamy (Raichur University), Shrinivas S Balli (Nrupathunga University) and Puttaraju (Mandya University).

“Kumar was told that there was some problem with his file and his money wasn’t returned,” Shivakumar said. “The appointment of vice-chancellors is mired in corruption. In every university, the staff and students talk that the V-C’s post is for sale. People go to Vidhana Soudha and ministers’ homes for this,” he said.

“I ask the chief minister to constitute a judicial commission under a sitting High Court judge to probe Kumar’s death,” Shivakumar said. “There’s an attempt being made to malign your name,” he said, addressing Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

After retiring from Bangalore University where he headed the department of electronic media, Kumar was the registrar of Garden City University at the time of his death. He was also registrar (evaluation) of the state-run Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and his tenure there was marred by alleged tampering of marks cards.

The police said a note was found, purportedly written by Kumar himself, stating that he was responsible for his own death.