Chhattisgarh school girl commits suicide after accusing teacher of harassment
Ambikapur (PTI): A 12-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at home in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district after accusing a woman teacher from her school of harassing her, police said on Thursday.
The accused teacher was arrested on Wednesday based on a suicide note found in the victim's room, City Superintendent of Police (Ambikapur) Smruthik Rajnala said.
The Class 6 student of a private school was found hanging from the ceiling in a room of her house in Darripara area under Manipur police station limits late Tuesday night, he said.
A suicide note was found in the room in which the girl accused the teacher of harassing her, he said.
"A forensic team collected evidence from the spot and the post-mortem was conducted. Statements of the girl's parents, students and teachers of the school were recorded. The suicide note was examined by a handwriting expert," he said.
Based on the investigation, the teacher was booked under Indian Penal Code section 305 (abetment of suicide of child), the official said adding that further investigation was underway.
In the suicide note written in English and dated February 6, the girl claimed the ID cards of her and her two friends were snatched by the teacher.
"My friends told me that she is dangerous and she (will) take you to headmistress and also call your parents. I was scared and decided to kill myself," she wrote, while holding the teacher responsible for the extreme step.
The girl also requested that her friends be saved from getting punished.
The deceased's father, a government officer, told reporters that he was on a two-day visit to Raipur and his daughter spoke to him over a video call at 6.30 pm (on Tuesday) but did not tell him anything.
"She wrote on the suicide note please don't give punishment to my friends," he said and alleged that teachers at the school tortured the students
He also claimed that when his daughter was in the nursery class, another teacher harassed and thrashed her after he spoke to her about not teaching properly.
"My daughter stopped telling me about the harassment as whenever parents visit school to speak to teachers over some issues, the next day teachers take revenge and torture students," he said.
"Please save the students. They are innocent," he added.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
