Arson on Sathyabama University campus after girl caught copying kills herself

A Selvaraj | TNN | Nov 22, 2017, 23:46 IST

 

 

 CHENNAI: Protests erupted at Sathyabama University on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) on Wednesday night after an 18-year-old first year computer science student committed suicide in her hostel after being caught copying in an exam, police said. After dinner, as the news spread, several students torched furniture at the college and the hostel. A police team conducted an inquiry but no one was arrested.

Police identified the deceased as Duvvuru Monica Reddy of Andhra Pradesh and said she was writing the chemistry paper in her semester exam when she was found copying. The invigilator informed other officials and she was asked to leave the hall," a police officer said.

A university official told TOI that the girl was caught copying from a 10x12 paper. The usual consequence of such examination-related malpractice is that the student would be debarred for one examination and the family intimated. The girl went back to her hostel, and apparently sent an SMS to her twin Rakesh who was also writing the examination in the same hall.
Her brother saw the text message only after the examination, rushed to her hostel and requested her friends to check her room. Monica Reddy was found hanging and rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead.

The university official said there was no unrest on campus till dinner time and that students had taken their food and evening snacks in the mess without any trouble. It is not clear if the death has any direct link to the late evening campus unrest and arson committed by students, he said, adding that university authorities would think about future course of action, including declaring leave, by Thursday.

The parents of the victim are on their way from Hyderabad, police said.