A second-year engineering student has reportedly taken her own life due to her lack of funds to pay her college fees and appear for the exams on Saturday in Wanaparthy, Telangana. The student has been identified as Lavanya, 21, who is studying at a Hyderabad-based engineering college. The incident came to light after her parents found her dead. Police have registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC (suspicious death) and the investigation is underway.
According to media reports, the student hailed from a Scheduled Caste (SC) colony in Wanaparthy town, and she is currently attending online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A report in Sakshi stated that her father, Venkataiah, is a security guard while her mother Eshwarmma is a daily-wage earner. According to reports, Lavanya's father gave her Rs 8000 for her college fees, which she requested after she had taken a loan from someone else.
Lavanya was said to be under pressure as she found it difficult to continue her studies, given her family's distressful financial condition. She took the extreme decision when there was no one at home. Meanwhile, National Students Union of India (NSUI) activists have staged a protest at Wanaparthy government area hospital demanding action against the college for harassing students for college fees.
Wanaparthy Superintendent of Police (SP) said that the student has recorded a selfie video in which she has detailed the reason behind her suicide. When asked about the allegations of college harassment over fees, the SP said that she can't comment on it as the case is under investigation. In a portion of the video which has been shared on social media, Lavanya addressed her mother and said, “I can’t do this. Your child is gone. I can’t study. I will die. I can’t do this. I can’t trouble you. Father is going into debt,” while weeping.