Girl, 13, kills self in Bengaluru; purported note claims teacher asked for ₹20 fine for incomplete homework

A 13-year-old girl in Karnataka allegedly died by suicide after she was asked to pay a ₹20 fine for incomplete homework. The Class 8 student cited alleged humiliation and harassment as the reasons behind her death.

According to news agency ANI, the incident occurred in Bengaluru’s Anekal. The Class 8 student left behind a purported death note detailing the circumstances that led her to take the extreme step.

Here's what we know

According to The New Indian Express, the victim was enrolled in the Government High School, Marasur. On Thursday, her mother found the 13-year-old girl hanging in her room when she went to wake her up. In the note, the victim accused a teacher and a non-teaching staff member of abusing and punishing her, adding that apart from collecting a fine from her, the teacher also beat her at least 10 times.

According to the police, the 13-year-old girl alleged in the note that she was punished by a teacher for incomplete homework and was asked to pay a fine of ₹20. She also claimed that the teacher threatened her with the issuance of a transfer certificate (TC). The student further noted that the alleged humiliation and harassment had left her emotionally distressed, ultimately driving her to take the extreme step.

The victim's family members have also accused the school's teaching staff of harassing the child and have now demanded action against those responsible.

According to NDTV, the victim's mother said, "It seems like the teachers have been torturing her. I don't know their names. She missed school for one day. She didn't tell anyone what she went through at school. She could have told her sister, but I wasn't aware of it.'

A case of unnatural death has been registered by the Suryanagar police, and an investigation has also been launched into the allegations.

Further investigation is underway.

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