A class 12 student attempted suicide by jumping off the roof of her junior college in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district after allegedly being beaten up and sexually harassed by a driver who drove one of the buses used to ferry the college's students. The driver also complained against the girl to the college's principal, who allegedly thrashed her and made her stand in the sun.
In his police complaint, the girl's father has said the attempted suicide was a result of the actions of both the bus driver and the principal.
According to the father, the girl, who studies in an inter-college in Fathehpur's Khaga town, had stepped out of the campus while classes were on to buy something from a shop nearby. The bus driver saw her and, since this was in violation of the college's rules, he complained to the principal, who allegedly thrashed the student in front of the driver.
The driver also allegedly thrashed the girl and molested her.
This incident took place about 15 days ago and, earlier this week, the student spotted the bus parked in front of the college's gate. Still seething from the treatment meted out to her, the girl allegedly ordered the driver rudely to move it. The father said this prompted another complaint from the driver to the principal, who allegedly made the student stand in the sun for the entire day.
"I went to meet the principal after that and begged him to stop torturing my child. I also pointed out to him that my daughter's future was at stake since the inter (Class 12 board) exams are barely four months away, but my pleas fell on deaf ears," the father said on Friday.
"Fed up, my daughter jumped off the roof of the college on Wednesday and is now in the hospital with severe injuries," he added, fighting off tears.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Fatehpur) Vijay Shankar Mishra said, "The girl was taken to the hospital by the school authorities after she jumped off the roof on Wednesday. We have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the bus driver and the principal based on the father's complaint. Investigation is on."
(With inputs from Sandeep Kesharwani)
