NIZAMABAD : Intermediate second-year student Gaddam Santhosh (19), studying at the Social Welfare Residential College near Pipri road under Armoor police station limits, tragically died by suicide on Saturday morning. He was found hanging from a tree on the college premises.
After the morning physical exercises, college staff and students noticed Santhosh was missing. A search led to the heartbreaking discovery, and police and family members were immediately informed. Santhosh’s body was shifted to the government hospital for a postmortem and later handed over to the family.
A resident of Arepally in Nizamsagar mandal and belonging to the Dalit community, Santhosh came from a financially constrained background. His father is employed in Dubai, while his brothers work in Hyderabad. According to G Punachandar Rao, Incharge Regional Coordinator of Social Welfare Residential Junior Colleges, Santhosh had returned to the Velpur College (which shares a campus with the Armoor College) on July 9 after the summer break. He had attended morning exercises and was last seen heading to the bath around 6:40 am. He was found dead around 7:40 am.
Punachandar Rao added that Santhosh was not academically weak but had passed only four subjects in his first year. The transition from Telugu to English medium may have affected his academic comfort, and students suggested that limited friendships might have contributed to his emotional struggles. However, no direct evidence supports these speculations.
Santhosh’s brother, Sreenu, lodged a police complaint, expressing doubts about the role of the principal and physical education trainer. Armoor Police Officer Satyanarayana Goud confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)