The family of a Dalit academic who committed suicide at Jammu University on Wednesday following students’ charges of sexual harassment against him has alleged he was a victim of caste bias and a conspiracy to prevent him becoming head of the psychology department.

Staff and students protested on the campus on Friday demanding a CBI inquiry. Some Dalit groups in Jammu have held demonstrations, alleging murder.

Chander Shekhar, 45, an associate professor in the university’s psychology department, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his office chamber, officials have said. A note recovered from the room said the allegations against him were false and motivated.

Neeta Shekhar, wife of the academic, said the family had been shattered by his death and the allegations.

“I have lost my loving husband but the saddest part is that my children and I have to live with the allegations heaped on him,” the homemaker told The Telegraph from Moradnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

“There had never before been any such complaint against my husband. The university will vouch for his integrity.”

She added: “My two-and-a-half-year-old daughter is ill and is crying for her father.”

Shekhar’s wife and children Tathagat, 12, and Tathasti, 2, lived with him in Jammu but have returned to their ancestral home in Uttar Pradesh.

Neeta said the head of the psychology department, Aarti Bakshi, mistreated her husband because of his caste and was not in favour of his promotion as HoD.

“Dr Aarti Madam was retiring on September 22 and my husband was the senior-most faculty member in the department,” Neeta said.

“She wanted somebody else to take over. There was definitely a conspiracy to deny my husband the opportunity to become the HoD.”

She added: “I remember that once, when my husband was being promoted to associate professor, she made him wait for four hours when he went to her for a signature. She asked him to present his identity card despite them being colleagues.”

Neeta said she had once been denied a chair at a function, which she had to attend standing.

Bakshi did not take calls from this newspaper or reply to a WhatsApp message that sought her reaction to Neeta’s charges. The message showed two blue ticks, meaning it had been read.

The university administration said “20 to 22 students” had lodged a written complaint of sexual harassment against Shekhar on September 1.

The university set up a committee to investigate, which recommended suspension.

“My husband was never served with any notice. He was not even called to explain himself. All action against him was taken in three working days. They acted in unprecedented haste,” Neeta said.

R.K. Kalsotra, president of an organisation that defends the rights of Dalit, tribal and OBC communities, demanded a CBI inquiry.

“If he is guilty, he should be shamed across the country. But if he is innocent, his name should be cleared and people involved in framing him should be punished,” he said.

A Jammu University student activist, Anirudh Raina, said the students had held a protest against the probe committee and other staff members “who had forced him (Shekhar) to commit suicide”.

“The complaint was filed by 22 students on September 1. It would have taken days to investigate and meet all the complainants. The university was shut from September 3 to 5 and on September 6, the committee recommended action against him,” Raina said.

He said a delegation had on Friday met vice-chancellor Umesh Rai, and he had promised to look into the matter.