The 19-year-old pharmacy student in Hyderabad who was found to have falsely told the police that she was abducted and raped by an auto driver and his accomplices was found dead on Wednesday, and it is suspected that she took her own life. The police said that the student was rushed to a hospital where a doctor declared her dead. Speaking to TNM, Ghatkesar Circle Inspector said, "This morning (Wednesday) at 11 am, the doctor declared her dead. At 10:55, she was brought to the hospital. She tried to take her life by suicide. She seems to have done it because of depression.”

The case pertains to the Hyderabad police’s investigation into the claims of the student who had said that she was abducted by an auto driver while returning home from college on February 10, was taken to the outskirts of Hyderabad and was sexually assaulted by the auto driver and three other men. The Hyderabad police investigation as well as CCTV footage revealed that she had faked the story.

The woman had faced wide backlash for making a false statement to the police, and some reports and memes had shared unverified intimate details about the incident as well as the student herself.  After the incident, the police say her family had taken away her phone.

“She did not have a phone, a TV and she did not know what was happening outside,” the police added. Her body will be brought to the Gandhi Hospital for a post mortem

The B.Pharmacy student had on February 10 called her mother to tell her that the driver of the auto she was travelling in did not drop her off at her scheduled stop but was instead going at a high speed. Her mobile thereafter, was not reachable. The police were then informed and the police managed to rescue her. After she was rescued, the student told the police that the auto driver beat her and shifted her into a van at Yamnampet with the help of the van driver. At Ghatkesar railway station, two others joined them, she alleged.

However, the police found that the student had voluntarily gotten off the auto at Yanmanpet in Ghatkesar mandal and that she fabricated the story because she wanted to “get away from home.”

The student had claimed that the alleged abductors had taken her to Yamnampet village and later dropped her at Annojiguda. She was found by the police in a semi-clad condition with injuries to her leg. The police had told the media that they have retrieved footage of her running towards the bushes and falling and that is how she hurt herself.

“After collecting all the evidence and talking to the victim again, she confessed that due to family issues, she wanted to leave her house, and she informed her mother. Later on, due to police involvement, she panicked and out of fear, weaved a false story,” the police had said in a press statement.

The police had rounded up auto drivers whose vehicles had partially damaged doors and three autos were found with the description given by the woman. The photos of the three auto drivers were shown to the student. The woman identified one auto driver, but it was found that he had an alibi and at the time of the incident, he was not at the spot.

The police had closed the case withdrawing all the charges. “The auto drivers had asked her about why she singled out one auto driver and framed him. She told them that they had a spat once over auto fare,” the police 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)