Parents of student who ended his life at AIIMS call for CBI probe



The parents of a tribal MBBS student who allegedly committed suicide on the AIIMS campus three years ago approached the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking a CBI probe into their son's death.



Gulab Chand Ahirwal and his wife Shanti Devi, from Madhya Pradesh, filed a petition contending that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has failed to conduct a proper inquiry into the death of their son Balmukund Bharati on March 3, 2010, and sought a CBI probe.



They also sought the court's direction to government and AIIMS management seeking financial compensation for their 24 year-old son's death.



The couple hope the Delhi High Court will order a CBI probe into their son's death

In the plea, the parents alleged that organised caste discrimination is rampant in AIIMS, that the administration know this, and that the authorities have not taken any steps to stop it.



Claiming that letters have been written to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and other authorities concerned 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.



On March 3, 2010, the body of the final-year MBBS student was found hanging in his hostel room after he failed his exams.



The petition is listed for hearing on Tuesday (today) before Justice V.K. Jain.

In the plea, the parents alleged that Balmukund was discriminated against by faculty members on the basis of caste and that he was failed by the teacher concerned.



The plea said the health ministry in 2006 had appointed a three-member committee under UGC chairman Sukhadeo Thorat to probe allegations of caste-based discrimination at AIIMS.

