Meghana (19), a first year civil engineering student of Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering, allegedly committed suicide by hanging at her apartment in Rajarajeshwarinagar.
Meghana left to college at around 8.30 a.m. and returned home while her parents are away at work. When they returned in the evening, they found her hanging from the ceiling.
Parents of the deceased alleged that harassment from the head of the department and her classmates pushed Meghana to take the extreme step. They alleged that Meghana’s classmate had harassed her over some mobile theft, following which the HOD had reprimanded her. They claimed that her classmates had stopped talking to her, did not share notes and had even removed her from the class WhatsApp group. The problem reportedly escalated when Meghana contested in the class representative elections.
Her parents claimed that they went and met the class teacher and students to resolve the issue. However, the problem started again after a few days when a group of students visited Meghana’s house and fought with her, alleged Chandrashekhar, Meghana’s father.
Denying that it was a case of ragging, college principal C.P.S. Prakash said that the institution has an anti-ragging committee and Meghana never approached it. “The student along with her mother had come to the college in September and spoke to the college coordinator Prof. Rajkumar. After her mother informed him that the student was aloof even at home and would not speak to anyone, she was counselled by Prof. Rajkumar,” he said.
On the issue of dispute between the class representative and the deceased, the principal said there was no question of discrimination. Allegations of her being removed from the class the WhatsApp group had not come to light. Mr. Prakash also said the student was not regular to college.
Meanwhile, the R.R. Nagar police have taken up a case and are probing.
