Navi Mumbai student commits suicide after college cancels admission, principal booked

On Friday, Kalamboli police registered an FIR against the college principal for offering admission ‘offline’ to a 16-year-old student, who committed suicide after the admission was cancelled.

The deceased student, identified as Pushpa Suryavanshi, had secured 81.4 percent in her SSC exams. Although the percentage was lower than what was required to secure admission in Kalamboli-based Sudhagad Education Society (SES), the student was offered admission offline.

The college also collected Rs 20,000 from her as donation for the admission.

However, after the student had turned down other merit-based options, the college cancelled her admission and asked her to collect a refund. Fearing that she will not be able to secure admission in any other college, Pushpa committed suicide on Thursday.

Pushpa was found hanging from the ceiling fan by her cousin around 8 pm on Thursday night. She had moved to Navi Mumbai for education and had been staying with her cousin for the last 3 years.

The police also found a handwritten suicide note, wherein Pushpa confessed that she decided to commit suicide as she did not get admission in the college of her preference. She also mentioned that no one should be blamed for her death.

Following the incident, Kalamboli police registered a case against Iqbal Inamdar, Principal of SES, for abetment of suicide and for cheating.

Investigation revealed that Pushpa was promised admission by the college two weeks back. However, after the state government announced that no college would be allowed to give admission offline, the college authorities summoned her and informed her that her admission had been cancelled.

While speaking at the Legislative Assembly on Friday, State Education Minister Vinod Tawde claimed that the college had flouted rules by promising Pushpa admission. The ‘false hope’ of having secured admission in SES led her to ignore the seat allotted to her during the online process, eventually prompting her to commit suicide.

A detailed investigation into the principal’s role in providing offline admission and cancellation has been ordered.

Meanwhile, the education minister has urged parents and students not to opt for admissions by paying donations to middlemen.