BHUBANESWAR: Allegedly unable to deal with examination pressure, a Class XII science student died by suicide by jumping off Kathajodi river bridge near Trisulia square within Markatnagar police limits here on Wednesday.
The deceased, a 17-year-old boy, was a native of Niladri Vihar in Bhubaneswar. With board exams commencing next week, the boy was possibly under study pressure, police said.
As per police sources, the 17-year-old left home at 10 am on Tuesday and booked a cab online to reach Cuttack. Though his phone was initially on, he reportedly switched it off later. When he did not return home, his family members launched a frantic search to trace him but in vain.
They later filed a missing complaint with Chandrasekharpur police. At around 9 am on the day, locals spotted his body and informed the police which said the victim had left his footwear on the bridge before jumping.
Initial investigation revealed, as there was no water under the bridge, the boy was likely hit by rocks after he jumped into the river and sustained multiple fractures and injuries on his face. “We did not find any suicide note from the spot,” said an officer of Markatnagar police station. The victim’s mobile phone is missing. A case of unnatural death has been registered and further probe is underway, he said.
Sources said the boy’s elder sister is pursuing BSc in Microbiology. His father works with a public sector bank in Bengaluru.
This is the fourth such incident where a student in the capital city ended his/her life within four months. In a similar incident in November last year, a 17-year-old MBBS aspirant died by suicide in her hostel allegedly due to study pressure. The girl had told her mother that she was not prepared for her coaching centre’s physics examination.
In another incident in December, a second year MBBS student of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room.
(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.)