Citing financial trouble in her last note, Aishwarya Reddy, a student of Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College for Women died by suicide in Telangana on November 2.
Aishwarya, who was a BSc Mathematics (Honours) student, hanged herself at her home in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, police said.
As per her family, Aishwarya left a suicide note written in Telugu, in which she mentioned her desire to become an IAS officer but did not want to become a burden on her family.
“No one is responsible for my death. I don’t want to become a burden on the family. I can’t live without studying, I was thinking about it and this [suicide] is the only way left for me,” the note reads.
Aishwarya’s father, Srinivas Reddy, is an auto mechanic and mother, Sumathi, is a tailor by profession.
The 19-year-old girl was the Class 12 examination topper in Telangana and secured a seat in Delhi’s LSR college based on merit, as per her family.
In August, the Department of Science and Technology had informed Aishwarya that she has been ’provisionally selected’ for government’s Inspire scholarship and was asked to submit the documentation before the year-end, her family said. However, as per her family, she was not sure whether she would receive the full amount.
Aishwarya’s family claimed that she was depressed since she was asked to vacate her hostel in Delhi by the end of October. This came at a time when she was trying to arrange a laptop for her online studies. However, after her request, the deadline for vacating her room was extended to November 7.
Due to not having a laptop, she was attending her online classes using her smartphone, her family said.
Aishwarya’s death has led to protests with students demanding justice for her.
“In midst of this pandemic, BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is not distributing any national fellowships from the last six months. This has jeopardised students’ lives, and has led to the situation that a bright scholar from a working-class family has to end her life,” Student’s Federation of India (SFI) President, Ranga Reddy district, D Prashant said.
The union termed the incident as an “institutional murder” and demanded justice for Aishwarya Reddy.
The SFI alleged that the “psychological trauma due to long pending Inspire fellowship and insensitivity from the part of the administration towards her situation” was the reason for Aishwarya’s suicide.
