Student dies by suicide after exam, family finds out while reporting her missing
A first-year B.Com student in Guarat’s Surat allegedly died by suicide after she reportedly jumped from the 13th floor of a residential building near her college, leaving her family devastated, police said. The incident came to light after her family, worried when she failed to return home after an examination, approached the police to report her missing.
The victim has been identified as Gauri Bhagabhai Prajapati, a resident of Sant Jalaram Society near Bhatar Road. She was pursuing her first year of B.Com and had left home on Thursday afternoon, telling her family that she was going to college to appear for an examination.
According to her relatives, Gauri was expected to return home by around 4:30 pm to 5 pm. However, she did not come back, prompting her mother to become concerned. The family initially went to her college to enquire about her whereabouts, but found that the institution had already closed.
The relatives then approached the police to lodge a missing person complaint.
They first went to Chowk police station, where they showed the cops Gauri’s photograph and sought help in tracing her. They were subsequently directed to Rander police station.
After reaching Rander police station, the family received the tragic news that a student had died after falling from the 13th floor of the Hoksa building, located near Navyug College.
Police proceedings at the spot indicated that the victim was indeed Gauri. The family members rushed to the location and were confronted with the devastating discovery.
Local police reached the building after being informed about the incident and initiated an investigation.
The body was taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem examination as part of the legal procedure. Police are also expected to examine CCTV footage and other available evidence to establish the sequence of events leading to Gauri’s death.
Rander Police Inspector TB Pandya told India Today TV that Gauri had been undergoing treatment for depression, which police attributed to financial hardships faced by her family.
However, a relative said that she was in the middle of her examinations and that it could not be ruled out that academic pressure may also have affected her. The relative stressed that the exact circumstances behind her death could not be established at this stage.
Gauri belonged to a financially struggling family. Her mother works as a seamstress, while her father is employed as a labourer in a diamond factory. Her sudden death has left the family in profound grief.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The post-mortem findings, CCTV footage and other evidence are likely to help investigators establish the sequence of events and clarify the circumstances preceding the student’s death.
