Class X student ends life over fee harassment

Karimnagar: A class X student on Wednesday committed suicide by jumping in front of a train as the school management humiliated him over non payment of fee. Though the tragic incident happened on Wednesday, it came to light late on Thursday night after the unidentified body was identified.

• The teen recorded the reason for resorting to the extreme step of committing suicide in mobile phone before leaving home
• Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari orders inquiry into the matter

The 15-year-old Edula Santosh Reddy’s death created flutter in the district since he recorded the reasons for his death using a mobile phone. In the video, he clearly mentioned that he decided to commit suicide as he was made to stand for a long time by a teacher for failing to pay fees.

Though his parents recently paid Rs 5,000 fees, the school management was again demanding Rs 1,200, he voiced in the video. While the student unions staged protest demonstrations across the district demanding severe action against the school management, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari ordered for an inquiry into the incident and directed Peddapalli RDO Narayana Reddy to investigate the matter and submit a report.

District Education Officer V Lalitha Devi and other officials visited the village and enquired with the students who were made stand along with Santosh. Speaking to The Hans India, Julapalli mandal Education Officer G Rajamallaiah who enquired the matter said, Santosh, a native of Abbapur village of Dharmaram mandal, was studying X class in Brilliant Model School in Julapalli mandal.

On Wednesday, Santosh and 10 other students were asked to stand under the sun in the school premises for not paying fee. They were also hit as they sat instead of standing.

Upset over the humiliation, the boy reached home for lunch break and recorded in the mobile phone his decision to end life and left home. He did not return home in the night. Before leaving the home, he left a slip wherein he wrote that everything was recorded in the mobile phone.

As Santosh did not return by night, his father decided to go to police station to lodge a missing complaint with Dharmaram police and found the slip in his shirt. He informed the police about the matter who alerted the police belonging to adjacent mandals. On Thursday night, Dharmaram police received information that an unidentified body was found near railway track in Peddapalli and parents of the boy identified the body as their son.

Dharamaram Sub Inspector K Laxminarayana said that based on video recording, they registered prima facie case and launched probe into the incident. A case under section 306 IPC was registered against the those who were responsible for his suicide, SI said.

Narayana Reddy, who was appointed as enquiry officer by the government, said that according to Right to Education Act, school managements should not force the students for fee and they should deal fee matters directly with the parents. Action would be taken against the school management if it was found guilty in the incident. However, the school director/principal was said to be absconding.