NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of Class 8 student’s alleged suicide in private school at Guntur

NEW DELHI: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report detailing the alleged suicide of a 13-year-old girl, a Class 8 student at a private school in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district. According to reports, the incident occurred on October 23, within the school’s hostel campus located in the Reddypalem village panchayat area of the Guntur district.

According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, Nallapadu Circle Inspector (CI) K. Vamsidhar stated that the victim, a resident at the school hostel, is believed to have taken her own life at approximately 8:30 pm on Tuesday. The CI said that the hostel warden immediately took the girl to Guntur Government General Hospital, where medical staff declared her dead around 8:50 pm the same evening.

Possible factor in suicide case

As reported by Deccan Chronicle, the Circle Inspector stated that a preliminary investigation indicated the student was facing academic pressure, which may have contributed to her decision. Following a complaint from her father, a case has been registered under Section 194 of the BNS Act, and authorities are conducting a full investigation to find more details surrounding her death.

Concerns over human rights violation

The NHRC has noted that if the details in the news report are accurate, they present a grave violation of the young victim's human rights. The fact that the girl allegedly died by suicide within the hostel premises, which is under the official custody and responsibility of the school, is particularly troubling.

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NHRC asks for detailed investigation and report

In response, the NHRC has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Andhra Pradesh, requesting a comprehensive report accompanied by an in-depth investigation within four weeks.

The report is expected to outline the current status of the police investigation and provide findings from the post-mortem examination, including details on the cause of death. Authorities are also instructed to include any additional inquiry reports related to this incident that may have been conducted.