KOTA: Rajasthan minister Shanti Dhariwal has triggered a controversy by blaming a love affair for the suicide of a 16-year-old girl who died at her hostel recently. The girl's incensed father has asked him to provide the evidence.
The minister claimed at a press conference on Wednesday evening that there was a letter left by the girl that suggested that a love affair was the cause. Local police, however, said there was no letter or suicide note recovered from the room of the girl who allegedly hanged herself on Tuesday night.
"You will be sorry to hear that a girl has also committed suicide today. It has been found that she committed suicide because of an affair. She had left a letter. All the suicides committed here (by coaching students) needed to be investigated thoroughly to find exact reason," Dhariwal told reporters.
The urban development and housing minister made the remarks during the press conference with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here.
Dhariwal also said that "parental pressure" was another reason behind the suicides by students in Kota, a coaching hub.
ALSO READ | Now, anti-suicide device on every ceiling fan to stop student suicides in Rajasthan's Kota
However, the father of deceased NEET aspirant Richa, who reached Kota from Ranchi on Thursday morning to receive her body, expressed strong objection to Dhariwal's remarks and demanded evidence to prove his claims.
"My daughter did not have an affair. If he (Dhariwal) has any such evidence, he should share it with me," Ravindra Sinha, the girl's father, said while speaking to media.
He also said his daughter had complained to him that some boys in Kota would tease her while going to and coming from a coaching institute.
Sinha also expressed dissatisfaction over counselling facilities being provided to coaching students in Kota.
Dhariwal could not be contacted for comment on Sinha's demand for evidence.
Meanwhile, Circle Inspector of Vigyan Nagar police station Davesh Bhardwaj, who is also the investigation officer in the latest suicide case, denied having recovered any suicide note from Richa's hostel room.
He also refuted the claim that a love affair was the reason behind the girl's suicide saying police did not find any such clue from her room.
ALSO READ | With 113 deaths since 2015, Kota has seen suicides by students every year, except during pandemic
The police have lodged a case under Section 174 of CrPC, Bhardwaj said, adding that the girl's body was handed over to the family members.
DSP Dharmveer Singh also denied recovering any note suggesting a love affair as the reason behind the girl's suicide.
The family members decided to perform the girl's last rites at an electric crematorium in Kota itself, the DSP said.
The deceased girl was a class 11 student and had been preparing for NEET in a coaching institute here since May this year.
According to official figures, Richa became the 23rd student who committed suicide in Kota this year, the highest ever for the country's coaching hub.
Last year, the figure was 15.
ALSO READ:
Suicide prevention among adolescents: Why educational institutions must take the lead
Understanding suicide: Why now is a critical time to care about the looming crisis
(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 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
