No smartphone for online class, college student ends life

JALPAIGURI: Upset over not being able to afford a smartphone to attend online classes, a 20-year-old college student died by suicide in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, police said on Wednesday.

Jayanti Bauli, a BA first-year student of Mal College, hung herself in her house in Dabripara village in the Saripukuri area on Monday night, said Dilip Sarkar, the officer-in-charge of Kranti police outpost.

Her father Aviram Bauli told police that he works as a daily wager and somehow manages to make both ends meet and also pay the tuition fees of her daughter.

"My daughter was wanting a smartphone for some time for the online classes. She was upset that I couldn't get it for her. But had I known that she would do something like this, I would have borrowed money from somewhere and bought her a phone," said Aviram as he broke down. Police said they are further investigating the matter.

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