15-Year-Old Student Dies by Suicide After Alleging Sexual Harassment by School Principal in Chhattisgarh

Preliminary investigations have found that the hostel operating on the school premises was unauthorized.

Jashpur:

A 15-year-old student tragically ended her life by hanging herself in the study room of a private educational institution after allegedly being molested and sexually harassed by the principal in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, according to officials on Monday.

The principal was taken into custody after the ninth-grade student reportedly used a saree to hang herself from a ceiling rod on Sunday evening.

The educational institution is situated in a village under the jurisdiction of Bagicha police station, stated Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Shashimohan Singh, who also noted that the deceased was from the Sitapur area in neighboring Surguja district.

Authorities discovered a suicide note at the scene which accused the school principal, Kuldipan Topno, of molestation and sexual harassment, leading to his immediate arrest, the police officer confirmed.

A case has been registered and investigations are continuing, he added.

Following the incident, a joint investigation team comprising officials from education, tribal, and police departments conducted an inquiry.

Initial findings revealed that the residential facility on the school grounds was operating without proper authorization, officials stated.

"Among the 124 students enrolled from grades 6 to 12 in the school, 22 boys and 11 girls were residing in the hostel, which was allegedly functioning without mandatory permissions. All relevant documentation has been confiscated," said Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Department, Sanjay Singh.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered. "The exact circumstances surrounding the incident will only be determined after a complete investigation," stated Bagicha Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pradeep Rathiya.