Surat: A 16-year-old girl has allegedly died by suicide with the family alleging that she took this extreme step due to harassment by her school over unpaid annual fees of Rs 15,000.
The girl’s father alleged she was made to stand as punishment for two hours due to the delay in fee payment, despite he assuring the school that the amount would be cleared by Feb 15. Following the incident, she stopped attending school out of fear after Makar Sankranti, he said. “She told us the school would punish her if she went back. Out of fear, she hanged herself at home,” her father told reporters.
However, the school denied the allegations, asserting that they do not address students directly for fee-related matters. A school official stated, “If parents don’t answer calls about fees, we simply ask students to remind their parents to answer the calls. The incident referred to happened on Jan 20, but she stopped attending school before that.”
CCTV footage from the school has surfaced, showing the girl studying alone in the computer lab and sitting on the lab floor.
The Godadara police have registered an accidental death report and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Inspector H S Acharya said, “We are investigating the father’s claims and looking into whether there were other factors contributing to her suicide. Statements from her friends, family, and school officials are being recorded.”
The district education office has also launched a parallel inquiry into the matter.