Richa Sinha, a NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) aspirant, killed herself on 12 September in Kota by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her dorm room. Now, her father has demanded Rajasthan minister Shanti Dhariwal for proof that his daughter’s ‘affair’ was the cause of her death, after the minister made the claim. The minister said that the girl left a suicide note saying she died because of a love affair, but police have said that no suicide note was found and there is no evidence of any love affair angle in the case.
The urban development and housing minister has stated that love affair was a reason behind many suicide cases among students including that of the 16-year-old who died at her hostel. He proclaimed that the girl from Jharkhand ended her life and that “the reason behind the suicide, mentioned in the letter she had left, was a love affair” at a news conference on the evening of 13 September where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was also present.
He remarked, “You will be sorry to hear that a girl has also committed suicide today. It has been found that she committed suicide due to an affair. She had left a letter. All the suicides committed here (by coaching students) needed to be investigated thoroughly to find the exact reason,” while addressing the media. He added that another factor contributing to student suicide in Kota which is a coaching hotspot is ‘parental pressure.’
However, the family members of the deceased who reached Kota from Ranchi to receive the body expressed objection to Shanti Dhaliwal’s comments. They also sought inquiry and proof to prove the same.
Her father Ravindra Sinha expressed, “My daughter did not have any love affair. If the minister has made such claims, then he should prove it with evidence. He is saying that a suicide note or a letter was found in Richa’s room, however, the police say no such note or letter was found. If Shanti Dhaliwal has any such evidence, then he must share it with us.”
According to him, his daughter had complained to him about being harassed by some guys when travelling between the hostel and the coaching establishment. He charged that Kota covered up suicide cases in Kota.
He further added, “Rich had complained about some boys in Kota who used to tease her. She also said that some local boys used to enter their hostel premises and harass girls there.” He voiced that a full investigation into the entire case is required and complained about the Kota counselling services offered to pupils.
According to the local police, no such letter or note was found in her room. “No suicide note or letter has been recovered from her room,” per investigating officer Davesh Bhardwaj. He denied that a “love affair” was the motivation behind her action and asserted that no evidence of such an affair had been discovered in her room and that the precise reason for her extreme step was still undetermined.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh also refuted uncovering any suicide note or obtaining any information that would point to a romantic relationship. “No note or letter suggesting a love affair the reason behind the girl’s suicide has been recovered from her room,” affirmed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Amarchand of Vigyan Nagar police station.
Davesh Bhardwaj, the Vigyan Nagar police station’s circle inspector and an investigator in the matter rejected charges that any suicide note was retrieved from her dormitory room. Additionally, he turned down the accusation that the suicide was triggered by a love affair and reiterated that the police had not discovered any confirmation of this in her room.
The police have reportedly lodged a case under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the body has been handed over to the family members. The family decided that her final rituals would be carried out at an electric pyre in Kota itself.
Richa Sinha was in class eleven and had been attending a local coaching facility since May of this year to study for the NEET exam. She became the 23rd student to commit suicide in Kota this year, the most ever for the nation’s coaching centre, based on government statistics. The number was fifteen the previous year.
