AHMEDABAD: A tragic incident has surfaced in Surat, Gujarat, where a Class 8 student from the Godadara area died by suicide at her home. The incident has sparked widespread outrage as the student’s family alleges she was prevented from sitting an internal exam due to unpaid school fees.
The family claims that the school punished the young girl by making her stand outside the classroom for an entire day, leaving her distressed and terrified.
Following the incident, the girl reportedly refused to return to school. On 21 January, while her parents were at work, she ended her life.
The girl’s father, Raju Khatik, recounted the ordeal, stating, “When my daughter had an exam before Uttarayan, the school didn’t allow her to take it and made her stand outside the class. She was crying when she came home and told me she wasn’t allowed to take the exam because of unpaid fees. I told her I would pay the fees next month.”
Khatik added, “After this incident, she refused to go back to school. The school authorities torment the students, and if no one intervenes, it might be too late.”
In response to these allegations, the school administrator, Mukeshbhai, categorically denied any wrongdoing, calling the claims baseless. He stated, “We only learned about this incident this morning. The school has no connection to what happened, and it is wrong to claim she died by suicide over fees — that’s completely baseless.”
Mukeshbhai further clarified, “The school does not inform students about fees. Discussions about outstanding amounts are solely held with parents. We provide fee details, set a payment date, and contact parents directly if there’s no response. The incident has no connection to the school.”
Ranjanben Ahir, a teacher at the school, also provided her account of the situation. “On the 8th, I informed the student that her fees hadn’t been paid. When we tried to contact her parents, they didn’t answer. She asked me to call them again, so I did, but they still didn’t pick up. I told her to go ahead and take the exam, and she did.”
Ahir continued, “There’s no link between the fees and the incident on the 21st. Her family said she stayed home because of her mother’s illness and for household work. From what I hear from her friends, the family’s accusations against the school are false. It seems the girl had issues with someone in the neighbourhood, and her family locked her in a room, possibly even tortured her.”
The family, residing in Priyanka Nagar Society, includes Raju Khatik, his wife, two daughters, and a son. Raju, a rickshaw driver, supports his family through his daily earnings. His elder daughter, Bhavana, a student at Adarsh Public School in Godadara, was reportedly humiliated at school for unpaid fees before the holidays and made to stand near the toilet.
The education department and police have launched investigations into the matter to ascertain the truth behind this tragic incident.
(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.)