A first-year student from Karnataka, pursuing B.Tech course in mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati, allegedly committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday morning.
The police said the Nagashree S.C., 18, from Hosanagara near Shivamogga, left a note behind saying she wanted to be a teacher, not an engineer.
“She wrote that it was better to die than fail to live up to the expectations of her parents and family members,” Rana Bhuyan, in-charge of Amingaon police outpost, told The Hindu .
The police broke open the door of Nagashree’s hostel room at about 10.30 a.m. .
“She told her roommate she was not feeling well and would skip class. Her roommate left but returned after the first class and found the door locked from the inside. She informed the security guards, who informed the police at Amingaon,” an IIT-G spokesperson said.
IIT-G is located at Amingaon, about 20 km from the heart of Guwahati across the Brahmaputra. The police said Nagashree’s body has been sent for post-mortem.
She was an inspiration
The journey of Nagashree from Suryaghatta, a remote village in Hosanagar taluk to IIT-Guwahati, was a source of inspiration for many students in her village and for those in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Gajanur, her alma mater. Her alleged suicide has left all of them shocked.
Her primary schooling was in Brahmana Taruve village and she joined JNV, Gajanur, in the sixth standard. Her father, Chandrashekhar Aithal, a farmer, told The Hindu that the family was shocked. “What I can say is she was a courageous girl, gifted with the knack to handle any pressure or crisis. I don’t know what compelled her to take this extreme step,” he said.
R. Premkumar, Principal of JNV, Gajanur, recalled that she used to visit the institute frequently and interact with her teachers. Remembering her, Mr. Premkumar said that, she had a brilliant academic record and was active in co-curricular activities also.
“She was with the National Cadet Corps, enjoyed playing harmonium, and was a good volleyball and shotput player,” he said.
During her visit to JNV last month, she had expressed her wish to be a teacher with Mr. Premkumar. “I had suggested that she study till M. Tech and enter the teaching profession,” he said.
Help is available on the State’s helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention line 044-24640050.
