A 19-year-old student of the Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College for Women in Delhi from Telangana has allegedly died by suicide worried about pursuing education in view of the poor financial condition of her family, police and parents said on Monday.
Aishwarya, an IAS aspirant, was found dead at her house in Shadnagar in neighbouring Ranga Reddy district on November 2. She was rushed to a hospital by her parents but declared brought dead, police said,quoting a complaint filed by her father, a vehicle mechanic.
A second-year BSc (Honours) in Mathematics student, she had returned from Delhi in March this year after those staying in hostel were asked to go home by the college authorities in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter purportedly written by her, the teenager said she did not want to burden her parents with her educational expenses, police said.
According toher father G Srinivas Reddy, his daughter was worried over continuing her education due to financial problems and was thinking over it for the past several days.
She had secured a good rank in intermediate second year and got a seat in the LSR. He took loan and admitted her in the college, Mr. Reddy said.
To support Aishwarya’s ambitions, he had discontinued his younger daughters education, he said.
I am a mechanic, but my work is also not doing well. She was worried about next years college fee,” he told mediapersons here on Monday.
Mr. Reddy said since she required a laptop or phone for attending online studies, they had sent a message to actor Sonu Sood, who had helped several needy people during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“But there was no reply from him... The college administration also said hostel facility will be given only for one year,” he said.
Police said that Mr. Reddy in his complaint had stated his daughter had recently asked him for some money for her studies and he had told her it was not immediately possible and he would take a loan and give.
She sought forgiveness adding that she was not a “good daughter.”
“Nobody is responsible for my death. My family is incurring a lot of expenses. I am a burden... My education is a burden... I cannot live without education,” she purportedly wrote in the note.
Aishwarya, who was awarded INSPIRE merit scholarship by the Department of Science & Technology, also mentioned that it needed “to be released for at least one year.”
A case under section 174 CrPC (unnatural death) has been registered, police added.
