‘Suicidal’ KU employee’s final statement thickens the plot

Points accusing finger at university’s ex-registrar, controller

of examinations and chemistry professor

The University of Karachi (KU) employee whose four-day-old body was fished out of a well near the educational institution’s water plant on Sunday had submitted an application to police and Rangers before he went missing, The News learnt on Monday.

In the application, 40-year-old Niaz Ahmed said if he were to commit suicide, former KU registrar Prof Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Arshad Azmi and Prof Dr Majid Mumtaz of the Department of Chemistry should be held responsible for his death.

Ahmed served as a grade-seven university employee for two years before Dr Azmi transferred him to another department because, according to his colleagues, he was unable to carry out the responsibilities assigned to him.

Ahmed resisted the move and refused to go to work in protest. He claimed that the head of his department had wrongfully accused him of underperformance.

After failing to persuade the KU administration, he misbehaved with Dr Azmi, who complained to the then registrar, Dr Khan, following which an inquiry committee was formed to investigate into the complaint.

The three-member body was headed by Dr Mumtaz, who said: “I looked into the allegations and submitted a report to Dr Khan. Keeping in view the rules of the university, I suggested taking action against Ahmed.”

When Dr Mumtaz was asked to discuss the findings of the inquiry committee, he said he could not recall the exact findings and recommendations of the body. During the inquiry, Ahmed submitted an application to Rangers and the Mobina Town police nominating the three men for his suicide. He accused them of exploiting his economic situation and said he was left with no other option but to kill himself.

Following Dr Mumtaz’s inquiry report, the university, in the light of the findings and recommendations of the body, held Ahmed responsible for misconduct and told him to take “compulsory retirement”.

Investigating officer ASI Ayub said: “The initial investigation revealed that Ahmed had twice put a toy pistol to the head of Dr Azmi after he was transferred from his department.”

ASI Ayub added: “When I contacted the KU management to probe Ahmed’s death, I was informed that he had attempted suicide many times in the past. The investigation is still under way, but I haven’t called in any university official for interrogation.”

Further investigation revealed that the then vice chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser had rejected the decision of compulsory retirement and announced restoring Ahmed, following which he was reinstated but was demoted to grade six as punishment for misconduct.

On March 22 Ahmed was supposed to rejoin the university. He was deputed as a peon in the Department of Environmental Studies, but he disappeared the same day.

Interestingly, Dr Khan said that after Ahmed was reinstated by the university, he claimed on an affidavit that he had made baseless allegations against the KU administration. When he was asked to produce the document, he said it was attached to Ahmed’s file.