Teen jumps off college building to death, alleging sexual harassment

Hyderabad: A college student in Visakhapatnam jumped off her college building to death minutes after texting her family.

Before she took the plunge, the 17-year-old revealed to the family she was sexually harassed at the college, NDTV reported.

She did not approach authorities or police after her harassers threatened to post her photos, which they had taken, on social media.

The teenager, a student of a polytechnic college in Visakhapatnam, addressing her elder sister in the heart-rending message said "Sorry didi, I have to go."

The institute's authorities reportedly informed her family on Thursday at 10 pm that the girl, whose identity is withheld, had gone missing.

The family living in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district informed police after she did not answer her phone.

Finally the girl responded to the family’s messages around 12.50 am on Friday.

‘Don't get tense, listen to me, I can't tell you why I am leaving and, even if I do, you won't understand. Please forget about me. I am really sorry. Mom and dad, I am grateful that you gave birth to me and brought me up. My chapter is coming to an end,’ she reportedly wrote in Telugu.

The girl advised in the text to her younger sister to focus on future and study what she likes, adding ‘Don't get distracted, don't be influenced by others, unlike me. Always be happy, and have a good life.’

She texted to her father revealing she was sexually harassed at college and was taking the extreme step.

‘You may ask why I am not complaining to the faculty, but that won't help. They (her harassers) have taken my photos and are threatening me. There are other girls as well. We aren't being able to tell anyone and we are not being able to avoid college either. We are caught in between. If I file a police complaint or approach the authorities, they will release my photos on social media,”she reportedly wrote.

She told her father in the message that he would feel bad a few years after she was gone and forget her, but if she lived he would feel bad all the time.

She left a final message to her elder sister: "Sorry didi, I made you all tense, but I have to go".

The family, nevertheless pleaded with her not to take any extreme step, received no response and later her body was found, according to the report.

The girl's father said: ‘I need to know why my daughter died. I brought her up with great love and care. She got good marks in her Class 10 exams and we got her admitted to this college believing that she would get a good education here.'