Schoolgirl dies by suicide in Bengaluru; family alleges harassment by teachers
Bengaluru: A school student allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself at her residence in Marasuru Madivala village in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru, with her family claiming that she was distressed after being reprimanded by teachers at her school.
The deceased, identified as Madhushree, was a student of Marasuru Government Higher Primary School. According to the police, the incident occurred on Wednesday night and came to light on Thursday morning when family members found her hanging in her room.
The case has been registered at the Suryanagar Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
Police said Madhushree left behind a handwritten note in which she expressed emotional distress. In the note, she wrote that an incident at school had caused her immense pain and claimed that baseless allegations had been made against her.
She said she was unable to bear the humiliation and decided to take the extreme step. She also stated that her mother, elder sister and younger sister were not responsible for her death and appealed to everyone not to blame her mother. The note ended with an apology to her family.
Speaking to reporters, Madhushree’s mother, Girija, said her daughter had not shared her problems with family members despite being asked if anything was troubling her.
She alleged that Madhushree mentioned in the note that she had been harassed by teachers at school and had shared her distress with the school’s physical education teacher.
A relative, Kalavati, described Madhushree as a talented student and a state-level Kabaddi and Kho Kho player. She alleged that Madhushree had recently been summoned by a teacher over claims that she had given teachers nicknames, after which she became the target of ridicule among fellow students.
Kalavati claimed the school headmaster had questioned Madhushree about the issue and alleged that the humiliation may have driven her to take the extreme step. She also expressed disappointment that no school officials had visited the family until Thursday afternoon.
Another relative, Santhosh, alleged that the family was initially unaware that Madhushree had attended school on July 8.
He claimed that after they contacted the Block Education Officer (BEO), the school management confirmed that she had attended classes and had been counselled after she was found crying.
He questioned whether the tragedy could have been prevented if the teachers had shown greater empathy.
Santhosh further alleged that Madhushree had been facing difficulties at school for the past three months but had not spoken about them at home.
He said the family was already coping with the loss of her father and suggested that she may have chosen not to burden her family further with her problems.
Police have begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the allegations made by the family. Further details are awaited.