A class 10 student in Hyderabad took her own life on Thursday, after allegedly being humiliated by the school management for not paying the school fees. The school was reportedly owed around Rs 27,000 in tuition fees, said the police.
The student identified as Yashaswini was found dead at her residence in Hyderabad. The incident took place in Neredmet police station limits under Rachakonda commissionerate. Yashaswini’s parents work as daily wage labourers. The grief-stricken parents allege that the school management of Ravindra Bharathi High School located in Neredmet, harassed her, driving their youngest daughter to suicide.
“The school management made my daughter call from the school twice this week, reminding me to clear the dues. I told them that I will clear it by February 20,” the girl’s father Hari Prasad said.
On the day of the incident, Yashaswini did not go to school. “My daughter told me that she will not go to school. She told me to lie to the school authorities that she was unwell in case they called him. This clearly means that she was tortured,” he alleged.
The father said that out of the Rs 37,000 annual fee, they had paid Rs 10,000. “For purchasing books we paid Rs 5,000 and another Rs 10,000. I assured them that I will clear the due by February 20.”
Yashaswini’s mother alleged, “They [school authorities] harassed my daughter, that is the reason she killed herself.”
The deceased student’s elder sister alleged that the school management harassed them to pay the fee even during the COVID-19 lockdown. “When we were struggling to make ends meet, there was pressure from the school to pay the fee. How could we do it?”
The Neredmet police have filed a case against the school under 174 code of criminal procedure (Police to enquire and report on suicide).