FIR lodged over death of PhD scholar in Punjab; university offers ₹16 lakh aid, job to family member
A PhD scholar at Panjab University died due to suspected electrocution while navigating a waterlogged campus path. The university has responded by offering financial compensation and a job to the victim's family following student protests.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical infrastructure failures in educational institutions and the subsequent social pressure required to secure accountability and support for victims.
A case of death by negligence has been registered in connection with a 28-year-old PhD scholar's death allegedly due to electrocution on the Panjab University campus, police said on Wednesday (July 29, 2026).
Jyoti, a scholar at Panjab University's Department of Microbiology, died on Tuesday, triggering protests from the students.
The FIR has been registered at Sector 11 police station here, police said, adding that further investigation in the matter was underway.
The incident occurred when Jyoti was going to the department from her hostel and took an unpaved pathway — as rainwater had waterlogged the area — and came into contact with an electric current that may have been carried by a nearby electrical junction box. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her dead.
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