Nursing student ends life in Vellore; college 'torture' suspected

CHENNAI: A nursing student, hailing from Vellore's Gudiyattam, ended her life on Sunday morning. Since she did her studies in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor allegations have surfaced that she may have undergone 'mental torture' from the college staffers.

Karthikadevi (21), was doing her final year in a private nursing college in Chittoor's Arakonda. She had dialled her parents that the college staffers 'tortured' her in various ways and threatened to fail her in several subjects.

Under these circumstances, her parents brought her back to their native from her college. On Sunday morning she locked herself in a room, upon opening the door she was found hanging.

Karthikadevi was rushed to the Gudiyattam government hospital where she was declared brought dead. A case has been registered with the Gudiyattam town police station.

Her parents have alleged that their daughter took the extreme step due to the torture meted out to her by the college staffers. Seeking action against the college, they have also lodged a complaint with the Thavanam Palli police station as the college is situated under its jurisdiction.

Social activists and academicians have expressed concern over instances of 'torture' being widely reported in the cases of Tamil students studying in other states. Karthikadevi's suicide has caused palpable furore and anxiety among parents whose children are studying in other states.