Digital footprints, disputed ragging claims: What complicates the Dharamshala college death probe

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• Police investigate death of 19-year-old student in Dharamshala over ragging claims
• Investigation hampered by limited physical evidence and conflicting accounts
• College and staff under scrutiny; multiple institutional inquiries underway

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The Himachal Pradesh Police is examining paintings, handwritten study notes, social media posts and messages praising doctors and nurses as it probes the December 26 death of a 19-year-old college student in Dharamshala, a case that has triggered national attention and multiple institutional inquiries, The Indian Express has reported.

With the teenager’s body cremated before a formal investigation could begin, police officials say physical evidence is limited. Investigators are now scrutinising a social media video posted by one of the four college mates accused of ragging the teenager.

In the video, the student claims the ragging had actually taken place in 2024 at the hands of a final-year student, contradicting the family’s allegation that the harassment occurred in September 2025. The accused says this information was shared with her directly by the 19-year-old.

An SIT officer told The Indian Express that this version conflicts with videos recorded earlier by the teenager’s relatives while she was hospitalised, in which she spoke about harassment by college mates in September. “This has left us in a bind,” the officer said, adding that neither account can be dismissed at this stage.

Police action began after the teenager’s father filed a complaint on the Himachal Chief Minister’s Helpline on December 30. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against five people, including four college students and an assistant professor. The assistant professor, who faces sexual assault allegations, was suspended on January 4, police said.

While the deceased student belonged to a Dalit community, three of the accused students are from SC/ST categories. The suspended assistant professor belongs to an OBC group, according to officials involved in the probe.

“At this stage, we cannot deny the teenager’s allegations,” an SIT officer told The Indian Express, “but we also cannot ignore the fact that she was struggling with severe depression and mental health issues.”

Kangra Superintendent of Police Ashok Ratan said the investigation is focused on understanding how “a young woman with versatile talent, who was into painting, went into such severe depression that she died within four months,” as claimed by the family. He added that the teenager had been treated at at least six hospitals between September and her death, and her complete medical records are being examined by a special panel of doctors.

A family grappling with loss

The teenager grew up in a small hamlet near the newly opened Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha building, not far from her college in Dharamshala. Her family lives in a shared compound with relatives. Her father, a property dealer, once trained local youth in martial arts.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the 49-year-old said the family had handed over everything the police asked for, including his daughter’s paintings, many of them devoted to Lord Krishna. “The only things I have not shared are a pair of jeans and a sweater I bought for her when she was in hospital in Ludhiana in November,” he said. “The doctors told us to keep her happy. She was so excited about the clothes that she wanted to wear them immediately.”

Her mother said doctors and nurses across hospitals were surprised by the teenager’s condition and drawn to her warmth. “Many gave her gifts at discharge. At the last hospital in Ludhiana, a nurse gave her earrings,” she told The Indian Express, showing them to visitors.

The family has since received visits from several officials. The chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh Women’s Commission met them earlier this week, while the state’s Youth Services and Sports Minister later connected the family with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu through a video call.

A campus under scrutiny

The college, a British-era co-educational institution, had been preparing for its anniversary celebrations when the allegations surfaced. It is now under scrutiny, with teams from the University Grants Commission and the state Directorate of Higher Education visiting the campus.

All the accused students are from Dharamshala, some living close to the college. One of them told The Indian Express that the allegations could destroy lives. “One of us failed BA First Year, just like her. Another has no father. A third was her friend since school,” the student said, insisting there was no ragging.

Another accused student said she did not know the teenager personally but had seen her in class. “She was introverted, but good at dancing,” she said.

An MA student at the college told The Indian Express that the ragging allegations came as a surprise. “Everything is very open here. An incident like this would not go unreported,” he said, adding that the assistant professor facing charges had taught him as well.

The college principal said no formal complaints of ragging were received during his tenure. “Whatever information we had on record, including our communication with the victim’s father, has been shared with the authorities,” he said.

As per UGC guidelines, the college has an anti-ragging helpline and an internal committee to address sexual harassment complaints, with contact details displayed prominently on campus.

Members of the college’s Old Students’ Association have also been contacted by probe teams.