Student Dies by Suicide, Note Accuses School Principal of Harassment Leading to Arrest

A 15-year-old Class 9 student was found dead on Sunday evening after allegedly hanging herself in the study room of a private residential school in a village under Bagicha police station limits in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district. Police recovered a suicide note in which the girl explicitly accused the school principal, Kuldipan Topno, of repeated molestation and sexual harassment. Authorities arrested Topno the same night and registered a case under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The victim, a resident of the Sitapur area in the neighboring Surguja district, was among 33 boarders staying at the school. A joint team comprising officials from the education, tribal development, and police departments conducted an on-site inspection on Monday. Preliminary findings confirmed that the hostel attached to the school was operating without mandatory permissions from the tribal welfare and education departments, despite accommodating 22 boys and 11 girls alongside the institution’s total enrollment of 124 students from Classes 6 to 12.

All records pertaining to the school and hostel have been seized for scrutiny. Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Shashimohan Singh stated that statements from other students and staff are being recorded as part of the criminal investigation. Bagicha Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pradeep Rathiya has ordered a separate magisterial inquiry to examine administrative lapses and the circumstances leading to the incident.

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The case has intensified concerns over the safety of minor students in unregulated private residential schools in tribal-dominated regions of Chhattisgarh. Local child rights activists have demanded stricter enforcement of hostel licensing norms and mandatory background verification of staff. Authorities have assured that the probes will be completed expeditiously and action taken against any additional individuals or institutions found violating regulations.

The school remains closed until further notice, and counseling support is being arranged for affected students. Police have urged the public to refrain from speculation while both the criminal investigation and magisterial inquiry proceed simultaneously.

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