Unable to pay school fee girls commits suicide

Naveen S Garewal 
Tribune News Service 
Hyderabad, February 13 

Daughter of daily wagers allegedly committed suicide after a private school in the city pestered her to clear the school fee. The Class 10 girl initially stopped going to school as her parents could not deposit the Rs 3,000 in school fee arrears and then when she continued to receive phone calls from school, she took the drastic step.

Identified as Yashaswini, 15, sources said the school staff was allegedly pressuring her to pay the dues. Her parents told the police that she was depressed as she was unable to continue her studies.

Schools in Telangana reopened on February 1, after nearly 10 months and all class 9 and above students are expected to attend classes in person.

“As the school staff was forcing her to call her father for fee, she stopped going to school”, her friend told the police. Her parents said when they returned home from work on Thursday evening, they found the house at Kakatiyanagar in Neredmet locked from inside.

“Despite repeated knocks, there was no response, so we broke the door latch to find her hanging by a rope”, the parents said.

Inspector A Narasimha Swamy at the Neredmet police station under Rachakonda Police Commissionerate said the police have registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and took up investigation. Police said there was no suicide note.

The police official, however, said the girl’s parents had not complained of harassment by the school. “The girl’s parents said they had paid Rs 15,000 as fee despite the loss of earnings during the lockdown and had promised to clear the dues later,” Swamy said.