Three days after the death by suicide of a 20-year-old woman in Kerala’s Kottayam, the students of her college took out a protest against the college authorities, alleging them of mentally harassing her prior to her passing. Sradha Satheesh, a student of food technology at the Amal Jyothi College of Engineering in Kanjirappally, died by suicide on the evening of Friday, June 2. On Monday, June 5, students of her college and members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) in the district marched towards Amal Jyothi, asking for justice. Both the students and the parents of Sradha allege mental harassment by the authorities as the reason for her death.
“She was fine till Friday afternoon. Then, during the lab hour, they snatched her phone when she took it out to check a notification. She was taken by the teacher to the office of the Head of Department (HOD) and given a scolding. We don’t know what transpired there, but after coming out, she said that she did not want to live anymore. We believe she must have been badly harassed for her to want to take her life,” said Rixana, a third-year student of the college, and a hostel mate of Sradha.
There is also a question of Sradha’s social media post about the college, leading to the alleged rebuke and confiscation of her phone. She had reportedly taken part in an online survey, in which there was a hypothetical question about wanting to reverse something she did in her past, to which she answered that she would choose a different college. Some of the students think this may have provoked the authorities into taking such stringent measures, says Raghu Nandanan, a friend of the family who has been with Sradha’s father Satheesh throughout the ordeal. He tells TNM about the day of her death.
After spending her holidays at home, Sradha had taken a bus from her home in Thiruvankulam in Tripunithura to the college on June 1. She seemed quite happy then, says Raghu Nandanan, who had been with Satheesh when the dreadful calls came on Friday evening. “We first got a call from the HOD, Anoop, saying that Sradha’s phone had been taken from her and that she had some back papers. So her father called a roommate but couldn’t get through to Sradha twice. After 8.30 pm, we get another call from the HOD saying that Sradha was unwell and hospitalised. Within half an hour, a manager of the school called to say ‘your daughter is gone’. Even the way they worded it was so insensitive,” Raghu Nandanan told TNM.
The students are also questioning the total silence and lack of sympathy of the college towards handling the case. “Sradha attempted suicide in her hostel room between 7.30 and 8 pm, when her roommates went to eat dinner. They found her at 8 pm and she was immediately taken to the Mary Queens Mission Hospital nearby. However, the warden who accompanied them had at first told the doctors that Sradha had fainted. It was only when they found marks on her neck that the warden revealed she had attempted suicide. Sradha died between 8.30 and 9 pm, but at the hostel, we were only told that she was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). At 11.45 pm we came to know about her death from outside sources. It was only the next morning that the college put out a statement about her death,” Rixana said.
The students allege that the authorities tried to cite having back papers as the reason for her death. “The exam results had come out the previous day, but Sradha had seemed fine. It was only on June 2, after she was taken to the HOD’s room, that she took the drastic step,” Rixana added. The protesting students alleged that this is not the first instance of student harassment by the college.
Minister for Higher Education R Bindu stated that a detailed report about Sradha's death has been asked of the Principal Secretary. The instruction is in light of the allegations raised by Sradha's father Satheesh against the college, she said.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.