Class 8 Student Ends Life In Surat, Family Accuses School Of Harassment Over Fees

Surat: A Class 8 student allegedly died by suicide in Gujarat’s Surat city, with her family members claiming that she took the extreme step after being punished by her school over non-payment of fees on Monday.

The 14-year-old girl hanged herself at her home in the city’s Godadara locality on Monday evening when her parents were away.

Inspector Harshad Acharya of Godadara police station reported that the minor had stopped attending school after the Uttarayan festival on January 14. Her parents had not paid the school fees of ₹15,000 for the academic year ending March 2025.

The girl’s father alleged that the school barred her from taking exams due to the unpaid fees and made her stand outside her classroom.

The police, along with the district education department, have initiated an investigation to verify the claims made by the girl’s father, Raju Khatik, that the school’s actions led her to take her own life.

“We have taken the statement of the student’s family members, classmates and neighbours as well as the school management. We are probing the case from different angles. At this stage, we cannot say for certain that she died due to the reasons claimed by her father,” he said.

District Education Officer HH Rajyaguru said that his department has also initiated a probe and is trying to ascertain whether the girl died due to the alleged conduct of the school management over non-payment of fees.

“A team has been sent to the school. CCTV footage at the school is being scanned. Action will be taken based on the report submitted after an inquiry,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)