KARIMNAGAR: In a tragic incident, a 15-year-old Class X student, the son of a small farmer, recorded his suicide note in his mobile phone and ended his life by jumping in front of a train after he was beaten by his teacher for failing to pay the fee. Edula Santosh Reddy, a resident of Abbapur in Karimnagar’s Dharmaram mandal, had gone missing on Wednesday and ended his life on the railway tracks. His body was identified late on Thursday night.
Police said Santosh Reddy was beaten by a teacher in school for failing to pay the entire fee on Wednesday morning. He returned home for lunch and apparently recorded his suicide message in his cellphone. He left a note on a table informing his parents, small-time farmer E. Srinivas Reddy and mother, about the message and left home. His parents found the note when they returned home from the fields at about 6 pm, and began searching for him. They assumed he would be at a relative's place. When they did not find him, Mr Srinivas Reddy lodged a missing complaint with the Dharmaram police. Mr Srinivas Reddy stated that his son was tense after being reprimanded by his teachers over payment of his fee.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case and took up investigations. At Peddapalli, some 50 km away, the railway police received information at about 9 pm about an unidentified body lying on the railway tracks. The body was shifted for identification. When they received details on Thursday about the missing Santosh Reddy, the body was identified as that of the student.
Santosh was the youngest son of Mr Srinivas Reddy. The eldest son is working in the Gulf, and the elder son is studying in college. Mr Srinivas Reddy owns three acres of land but did not raise any crop due to poor rainfall. He said that since they had paid the school about Rs 6,000 they thought they had more time.
Teacher asked me about the fee. i am leaving.. amma:
“I am leaving, Amma. Please don’t wait for me. Teacher asked me about the fee. I am leaving. The teacher kept all of the students outside the school. Along with them, he kept me outside. I don’t feel like going to school. I am dying. Everybody is undergoing a similar plight. Recently, we paid Rs 5,000. We don't have money. I thought (of) everything. I am leaving. My friends didn't hurt me. My classmates did not hurt me. Bye, bye to everybody. I am leaving, Amma. Don't wait for me. My teacher beat me up in the morning today (September 30). I am leaving, bye, bye.” This was the message recorded by Class X student Edula Santosh Reddy, 15, on his cellphone before he ended his life on Wednesday.
School co-owner booked:
The Dharmaram police on Friday booked Konda Satyam, co-owner of Brilliant Model School, for abetment to suicide, following the suicide death of Edula Santosh Reddy, after he was punished by a teacher for failing to pay fee on September 30. Several students told officials that 11 of their classmates were thrashed by a teacher for failing to pay the fee. The officials had asked them if they had been beaten by the teacher. They were speaking in front of an inquiry panel comprising education reg-ional joint director Balaiah, in-charge DEO K. Lalitha Devi, and MEO Rajamallaiah.
Sources said that Mr E. Srinivas Reddy, the father of Santosh Reddy, paid Rs 5,000 five days back and Rs 1,000 on Tuesday. They had to pay another Rs 6,000. Despite this, the school made Santosh Reddy and other students stand in the classrooms for failing to pay the fee. The post-mortem on Santosh’s body was conducted at the Peddapalli government hospital in presence of revenue divisional officer C. Narayana Reddy and DSP N. Malla Reddy. Ms Lalitha Devi said action would be initiated against the institution as per orders from the education department.
