Chandigarh: Despite TOI reporting on Sunday that PU registrar Prof Y P Verma was not responding to the family of deceased PhD scholar Jyoti, neither he nor any other university official had called her father Ravindra Kumar, brother Pawan, or relative Jitendra, by Monday evening. The family, which has been seeking pending financial assistance of Rs 11 lakh and a job promised to Pawan, said it had received no call or update from the university.While PU officials maintain that pending matters are “under process”, the family says it has received no communication explaining the delay or providing a timeline for fulfilling the commitments. The absence of even a basic update has added to the distress of a family that has repeatedly approached the university for help.Rs 11 lakh, promised job still pendingJyoti, a PhD scholar in PU’s microbiology department, died near Girls Hostel No. 8. The university had announced financial assistance of Rs 16 lakh and a job for her brother following her death. However, the family says only Rs 5 lakh has been received so far. The remaining Rs 11 lakh and the promised job are still pending. The family is also awaiting Jyoti’s postmortem report.Family grapples with financial distressMeanwhile, the family’s financial condition is deteriorating. Ravindra Kumar, who used to drive a school bus to support the household, has stopped working since his daughter’s death. Jyoti’s mother, Rajbala, remains unwell, while Pawan left his job in Manesar after the tragedy and has been waiting for the employment promised by PU. The family says it has no dependable source of income and is burdened with debts exceeding Rs 7 lakh.The family lives in Kakrala village in Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, nearly 350 km from Chandigarh. Its members have repeatedly approached university authorities and travelled to the campus to seek assistance and updates. They have also raised concerns about their interactions with registrar Prof Y P Verma while pursuing pending commitments.Enquiry flags electrical safety lapsesQuestions over accountability for Jyoti’s death also remain unresolved. Two engineering officials suspended after the incident were reinstated before the magisterial enquiry was completed. The subsequent SDM-led enquiry found serious deficiencies in electrical safety and recommended departmental action against officials responsible for maintenance and supervision.The family continues to wait for the remaining assistance, the promised job, Jyoti’s postmortem report and clarity on action following the enquiry. By Monday evening, despite its concerns being highlighted publicly, it said no PU official had contacted any family member with an update.
