Panjab University has yet to contact the family of deceased PhD scholar Jyoti, even as ₹11 lakh of promised financial assistance, a job for her brother and her postmortem report remain pending, according to the family. The delay has left the household facing mounting debt and no dependable income months after her death near Girls Hostel No. 8.
The family said that by Monday evening neither registrar Prof Y P Verma nor any other university official had called Jyoti’s father Ravindra Kumar, her brother Pawan or their relative Jitendra. The family had previously sought an update on the pending assistance and employment commitment after the university’s response was highlighted publicly.
Panjab University had announced ₹16 lakh in financial assistance and a job for Pawan after Jyoti’s death. The family said it had received only ₹5 lakh, leaving ₹11 lakh unpaid. University officials have maintained that the pending matters are “under process”, but the family said it had not received a timeline or a formal explanation for the delay.
Jyoti was pursuing a PhD in the university’s microbiology department. Her family is also awaiting the postmortem report and clarity on the action to be taken after an enquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The financial pressure has intensified since the tragedy. Ravindra Kumar, who drove a school bus to support the household, has stopped working. Jyoti’s mother Rajbala remains unwell, while Pawan left his job in Manesar after the incident while waiting for the employment promised by the university. The family said it has debts exceeding ₹7 lakh and no reliable source of income.
The family lives in Kakrala village in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, nearly 350 kilometres from Chandigarh. Its members have repeatedly travelled to the university campus and approached officials for assistance and information. They have also raised concerns about their interactions with the registrar while pursuing the commitments.
The case has also raised questions about electrical safety and institutional accountability on the campus. Two engineering officials suspended after the incident were reinstated before the magisterial enquiry was completed. A subsequent enquiry led by the sub-divisional magistrate found serious deficiencies in electrical safety and recommended departmental action against officials responsible for maintenance and supervision.
The findings place responsibility for campus safety beyond the immediate question of financial relief. They indicate that maintenance systems, supervision and departmental accountability are central to the unresolved case, although the source report does not state whether final departmental action has been taken.
For the family, the pending assistance and job remain immediate concerns. The university has not provided a publicly reported timeline for releasing the remaining ₹11 lakh, implementing the employment commitment or sharing the postmortem report. No university official had contacted a family member with an update by Monday evening, according to the family.
