Class 12 boy dies by suicide in MBC hostel in Uthangarai
KRISHNAGIRI: A 16-year-old boy died by suicide in an MBC Boy’s welfare hostel at Uthangarai on Saturday night. “The student from Thiruvannamalai district was studying in Class 12 in a Government Boys Higher Secondary School near Uthangarai and was staying in the MBC Boy’s Hostel.
Out of 50 students, only 15 were present on Saturday. Among them, many students went to a nearby temple on Saturday night and only three students were present in the hostel. Ramesh went inside his room and was later found dead,” District BC, MBC and Minorities Welfare Officer Ameer Basha told TNIE.
Basha added, “The student was staying in the hostel from Class 11 and a few months ago he had allegedly attempted suicide, but we were unaware of the issue. On Saturday night, the cook had gone out to buy medicine and the hostel warden went back home, so two students recovered the body and informed the police.”
The boy’s father lodged a complaint at Uthangarai police station and enquiry is on by CB - CID. His body has been sent to Uthangarai government hospital for autopsy. SP Saroj Kumar Thakur, Chief Education Officer KP Maheshwari and District Child Protection Officer M Sivagandhi went to the spot to enquire about the issue.
Maheshwari told TNIE that a suicide prevention counseling will be given to hostel and school students soon. She interacted with a few students who told that Ramesh used to talk about suicide very often.
District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) nodal officer and psychiatrist S Gopi said that suicide prevention counseling must be provided for the hostel students, and especially for the students who handled the dead body.
District Child Protection Officer M Sivagandhi said, “Child safety in the hostel should be ensured by ensuring that the hostel staff is always available at the hostel, when the students need them.”
(To overcome suicidal thoughts, contact State helpline 104 or Sneha suicide prevention helpline 044- 24640050.)