Odisha Girl Student Dies by Suicide at IIT Hyderabad, Family Alleges Ragging
In a tragic incident at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, a young student was discovered deceased by hanging in her hostel room. The student, identified as Mamita Nayak, hailed from Dumburi village in the Biramaharajpur block of Subarnapur district. She had recently commenced her first-year MTech program on July 26. The authorities of IIT Hyderabad promptly notified her family members about the unfortunate incident.
According to reports, it was Mamita's fellow batchmates who stumbled upon her hanging from the ceiling fan and promptly alerted the hostel authorities. A distressing suicide letter was uncovered within her room, wherein Mamita expressed that she was driven to take such drastic measures due to overwhelming mental stress. Intriguingly, Mamita's family members expressed doubts about the circumstances surrounding her demise and raised pertinent questions.
The perplexing question emerged: why did Mamita decide to take such a grave step within the initial 10 days of her hostel life at IIT Hyderabad? The police found a suicide note in which Mamita conveyed that she had been battling mental distress for the past six months. Remarkably, Mamita was the sole daughter of Dukhishyam Naik from Dumur village, and her family members now harbor suspicions of foul play, asserting that she was a bright scholar who deeply cared for her family.
Mamita's sister, Sangita Naik, conveyed, "We are uncertain that she resorted to this on her own. It appears she might have been a victim of ragging, leading to her demise." Sangita continued, "We spoke over the phone just last week, and she seemed normal. She loved us immensely. Her demise seems far from a voluntary act; it appears she was taken from us."
Startlingly, recent data from the education ministry highlights the disturbing trend of student suicides within IITs. Over the last five years, a total of 98 suicides have been reported, with 39 occurring within the IIITs, followed by 25 each within NITs and centrally-funded universities. Additionally, 13 similar cases have been documented at AIIMS from 2019 onwards.
In light of this tragic occurrence, it's crucial to note that help is available for those in need. If you or someone you know requires assistance, several helplines can be reached: Aasra (Mumbai) at 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) at 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) at 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) at 0832-2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) at 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) at 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) at 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) at 040-66202000, and Lifeline at 033-64643267 (Kolkata).