A heartbreaking story has been coming from the outskirts of Bengaluru, where a 14-year-old girl studying in Class 8 in Marasuru Madivala village has died by suicide in her home in the Anekal Taluk of Bengaluru. The parents of the 14-year-old girl are saying she was forced to the brink after being endlessly “tortured” by teachers and “harassed”.
The deceased student has been identified as Madhushree. She was studying at the Marasuru Government Higher Primary School. A police official said the tragic incident was only discovered yesterday, on Thursday morning. When her family also became worried because they were not able to get her out of her room, they went to her room and found her dead.
The police went to the scene and found a vital piece of evidence. Madhushree had left a detailed handwritten suicide note that detailed the mental agony she was going through. In the note, she said a school teacher had punished her for not doing her homework.
Madhushree also received a financial penalty of Rs 20 from the teacher for her academic lapse. The amount may seem small, but the public nature of the punishment and the strict disciplinary measures broke down the young student's self-esteem and caused her deep emotional trauma.
The note also described a much more serious threat made by the school staff. Madhushree said she was told she would be issued a Transfer Certificate, which is basically expulsion from the institution. The fear of losing her seat in school, along with the fear of social stigma and being seen as a failure to her parents, were too much to bear. That emotional trauma and the fear of ruining her academic future drove her to suicide.
The local police have registered a formal case and have started a full investigation into the school’s conduct. They are investigating the management of the school, the accused teachers, Madhushree’s classmates, and the students to understand the exact sequence of events. The tragedy triggered a storm of anger among local residents demanding suspension and severe punishment against the teachers involved in the incident.
