Hazaribagh Erupts in Protest After Death of Class 10 Student, Family Demands Justice

Hazaribagh: Tension prevailed outside Vivekananda Vidyalaya in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh on Monday as hundreds of residents and family members of a Class 10 student staged a protest demanding a fair and impartial investigation into her death.

The deceased student, 15-year-old Shweta Kumari, allegedly died by suicide after facing prolonged mental harassment from a fellow student and alleged intimidation by a teacher, according to her family members.

The protest continued for nearly an hour outside the school gate, with demonstrators raising slogans demanding justice for the student and strict legal action against those accused in the case. The school falls under the jurisdiction of Bara Bazar Police Station.

According to Shweta’s father, Sanjay Gupta, a male student of the same school, identified as Solenz Rana, had allegedly been harassing his daughter for nearly a month and putting “unethical pressure” on her. The family also alleged that a teacher, Pratibha Singh, mentally threatened the student through phone calls.

Under severe emotional distress caused by the alleged harassment, Shweta reportedly consumed poison. After her condition worsened, she was first admitted to Arogyam Hospital and later referred to Medanta Hospital for advanced treatment, where she died during treatment on May 15.

Following information about the protest, officials from Bara Bazar Police Station reached the spot along with police personnel to control the situation.

During the protest, BJP leader Amardeep Yadav and members of Mukti Dham Seva Sansthan led by Neeraj Kumar also met the grieving family and protesters.

Police and administrative officials assured the family that the investigation would be conducted fairly. Protesters later withdrew the agitation after receiving assurance from the administration that the accused student and the teacher named in the complaint would be arrested and sent to judicial custody within a week.

Police said a case has been registered based on the written complaint filed by the victim’s father, and the investigation is being intensified with the help of technical and scientific evidence.

With inputs from IANS