Chandigarh: More than three months after Panjab University (PU) PhD scholar Jyoti died in an incident involving electrical safety on its South Campus, the responsibility for acting on the magisterial inquiry report now rests with the university.The Chandigarh deputy commissioner forwarded the report to the vice-chancellor on Tuesday, recommending that responsibility be fixed for electrical safety lapses and departmental proceedings be initiated or continued against officials concerned. However, PU has remained silent on the action it plans to take. Despite repeated attempts, questions sent to the university spokesperson went unanswered.In a letter dated Oct 27, DC Nishant Kumar Yadav asked PU to fix responsibility on the sub-divisional engineer (electrical), junior engineer-in-charge, electrical inspector and other electrical maintenance staff concerned, according to their assigned duties. The university was also asked to examine duty-allocation orders, maintenance records, inspection and complaint registers, work orders and other documents to determine individual accountability.The letter puts the onus on PU to initiate or continue departmental proceedings over lapses in inspection, maintenance, supervision and electrical safety management. It also calls for an immediate, comprehensive electrical safety audit of the South Campus, with identified defects to be rectified on priority.The report, which was with the district administration, was forwarded after several weeks. In a TOI report published on Oct 13, Yadav had said, “The enquiry report will be sent to PU in a day or two. It has been marked by me.” It was sent to the vice-chancellor on Oct 27.The DC has also asked PU to obtain and place on record the final viscera, chemical analysis and histopathology reports. If these establish a definite medical cause of death, consequential action should be taken in accordance with the law. The university has also been asked to implement the inquiry committee’s preventive and systemic recommendations to prevent a recurrence.Jyoti, 28, a PhD scholar in microbiology, died on July 28 near Girls Hostel No. 8 on PU’s South Campus while proceeding to her department. The inquiry was constituted to establish the circumstances leading to her death, determine responsibility, if any, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.With the report now formally before PU, the key questions are what action it will take, who will be held accountable and how quickly recommended safety measures will be implemented. The university had not responded to questions on these issues despite repeated attempts to contact its spokesperson.Box: What UT has asked PU to doFix responsibility: Identify officials and staff accountable according to their assigned dutiesDepartmental action: Initiate or continue proceedings over lapses in inspection, maintenance, supervision and electrical safety managementExamine records: Scrutinise duty-allocation orders, maintenance and inspection registers, complaints and work ordersSafety audit: Conduct an immediate, comprehensive electrical safety audit of the South Campus and rectify defects on priorityPrevent recurrence: Implement the inquiry committee’s recommended preventive and systemic measuresBox: Two officials reinstatedSuspended after Jyoti’s death: PU had suspended two engineering officials in connection with the incidentReinstated before inquiry completion: Both were reinstated before the magisterial inquiry concluded.Unanswered question: What action will PU take against those held responsible?
