Following her boyfriend’s jail sentence in connection with a kidnapping case, the 17-year-old girl committed suicide at her Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, home, according to police on Thursday. After her boyfriend was arrested on May 18, her family said she was depressed.
The girl had been dating her 19-year-old neighbor for almost two years. The girl lived in a village three kilometers from Lambhua in Sultanpur. Although their families disapproved of the union, the two still wanted to get married.
The father of the girl lodged multiple complaints with the man’s family and eventually took the issue up with the village panchayat. The two families were unable to come to a consensus, though.
Amid increasing pressure to break up, the couple decided to elope. On the night of May 13, the two fled the village.
The next day, the girl’s father filed an FIR against the man for allegedly kidnapping his daughter. Five days later, the police located the couple, arrested the boyfriend and sent him to jail for a week.
The girl was returned to her family and called in to record her statement in the case but because of some issue, her statement had to be re-recorded. She was called to the police station the next day.
Later that night, after the family ate dinner, she went up to her room alone and locked it from inside. There, she applied sindoor (vermillion) to her forehead before hanging herself from the ceiling with a scarf.
The girl had dropped out of school last year.
According to police, the girl’s initial investigation indicates that she struggled with depression before taking her own life. Legal action will be taken after the post-mortem report is received on the body.
If you are feeling suicidal or have suicidal thoughts, please know that you are not alone and there is help available. You can call any of the following helpline numbers in India to talk to someone who will listen to you and support you.
1. National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 1800-121-3667. This is a toll-free number that provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones
2. Aasra: 9820466726. This is a 24/7 helpline that offers non-judgmental and non-critical listening to anyone who needs emotional support
3. iCall: 022-25521111. This is a helpline run by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences that offers professional counselling, information and referrals to anyone in need of mental health care. It operates from Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 10 pm
Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of these helplines if you are feeling suicidal. You are valuable and your life matters.