This is the second suicide reported in this residential school and fourth reported across Telangana-run residential schools in February.
Published Feb 19, 2024 | 8:47 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 19, 2024 | 8:47 AM
Representative image of suicide. (Creative Commons)
A student of Class 10 of a state-run residential school in Suryapet district of Telangana allegedly died by suicide at her house in Hyderabad, police said on Sunday, 18 February.
This incident comes a week after another female student of the same school also allegedly died by suicide on 10 February.
The 15-year-old girl’s mother found her dead on Saturday. The house falls under the Chaitanyapuri Police Station limits in the city.
The police said the girl had been alone in the house when she resorted to the extreme step.
Based on a complaint filed by the mother, a case under Section 174 (suspicious death) of the Criminal Procedure Code has been registered, a police official said.
Earlier, an intermediate-level student had allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room in the same state-run residential school at Imampet in Suryapet district on 10 February.
Following the death of the student, identified as Daggupati Vaishnavi, the school authorities had declared holidays after which the 15-year-old girl came to her house to stay with her mother, the police said.
The girl, who was told by her mother to get ready to go back to the residential school after the holidays, had reportedly told her mother that she was afraid to return since the death of the other student, the police said.
Opposition BRS MLC K Kavitha expressed pain on hearing about the suicide and observed that it was strange that two girl students of the same school had died by suicide within a short period of time.
The government is unable to focus on problems concerning such residential schools due to the absence of a full-time social welfare minister, she claimed.
She said a full-time social welfare minister should be appointed and counselling should be arranged for students.
సూర్యాపేట మండలం ఇమాంపేట ఎస్సీ బాలికల గురుకుల పాఠశాలకు చెందిన మరో విద్యార్థిని ఆత్మహత్య చేసుకోవడం బాధాకరం. ఒకే పాఠశాలకు చెందిన ఇద్దరు విద్యార్థినులు కొద్ది కాలం వ్యవధిలోని ఆత్మహత్య చేసుకున్నారు.
తెలంగాణ సాంఘిక సంక్షేమ పాఠశాలల్లో ఏం జరుగుతోంది ? విద్యార్థులు ఎందుకు ఇలా వరుసగా…
— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) February 18, 2024
This is the fourth alleged state-run institution student suicide this year in the state.
On 10 February, Vaishnavi, an 18-year-old intermediate student belonging to the Dalit community allegedly died by suicide at a social welfare Gurukula College in the Imampet village of the Suryapet district.
Her parents alleged that the college management harassed and targeted their daughter. In their complaint to the Suryapet Rural Police, they mentioned the alleged role of the college “principal and staff” in the death of their daughter.
Vaishnavi’s father had alleged that the management was targeting her as she had raised the issue of bad quality of food being served in the hostel mess a few months ago. “She never complained of any harassment but we believe she was being targeted,” he said.
However, reports suggested that Vaishnavi had three backlogs.
The parents also alleged that the management initially concealed the alleged suicide from them.
On 3 February, two 15-year-old girls died by suicide at a government-run residential hostel for members of the Scheduled Caste in the Bhuvanagiri district.
The warden, one Shailaja, reportedly spoke to the students regarding a complaint against them.
Some students of Class 7 had alleged that the two girls were in a relationship, and accused them of touching other girls inappropriately, according to the police.
Soon after, they did not go to the hostel mess to eat dinner but instead returned to the hostel and ended their lives. They also wrote a suicide note, the police informed.
According to the FIR, accessed by South First, the parents complained that they got a call from an auto driver named Anjaneyulu, who informed them of the death of the girls.
The parents alleged in their complaint that the two girls had seen the auto driver frequently visiting the hostel cook Sulochana. They further alleged that the duo, fearing that the girls might tell others, must have killed them.
The local police had registered a case against five people under Section 174 of the CrPC. The five people were warden Shailaja, auto driver Anjaneyulu, cook Sulochana, PE teacher Pratibha, and tuition teacher Buvaneshwari.
Further, the warden was suspended by the SC Welfare Department.
Following the three suicides, Telangana BSP president RS Praveen Kumar demanded that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy release an ex gratia of ₹1 crore to the families of the three students and a government job for one of the members of each student’s family.
Praveen Kumar had previously demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the series of suicides of female students in residential hostels.
“A psychologist or counsellor should be appointed immediately for each hostel, ashram, or gurukula school,” he said.
Taking the matter further, Praveen Kumar demanded the appointment of a SC, ST and minority welfare minister.
“It has been 60 days since the formation of the new government in the state, but the chief minister did not appoint a minister for the SC, ST, and Minority Welfare Departments,” he said.
The BSP president also noted that the government was not discussing the issue of student suicides in the ongoing Assembly session.
“Everything is being discussed in the Assembly, but there is no discussion on the serial suicide of students in gurukulas/hostels. Why? Are these children’s lives worthless? Or you don’t discuss it because your children are not studying in such welfare hostels? Is this what public governance is all about?” asked Praveen Kumar.
(With PTI inputs)
