A 19-year-old nursing student in Navi Mumbai allegedly died by suicide after facing caste-based harassment and humiliation from his college principal, police said on Wednesday. An FIR has been registered against the woman principal under charges of abetment of suicide and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following a complaint from the student’s mother.
The incident took place on June 3 at a private nursing college in Poyange village, Panvel, where the student, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and a member of a Scheduled Caste community, was pursuing his first year of BSc Nursing. He allegedly hanged himself using a waistband in his hostel room, according to Panvel Taluka police.
The FIR states that the principal had repeatedly humiliated the student with casteist slurs and degrading comments, including remarks about his masculinity, over the past few months. The student was reportedly unable to cope with the continued harassment.
Police said no arrests have been made yet. "We are investigating the matter. Statements from witnesses and college staff are being recorded, and all necessary evidence is being gathered," an official said.
(With PTI inputs)