A first-year intermediate student of RNR Intermediate College, located at the ISKCON Centre in Nellore city, was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Sunday, triggering outrage among parents and student groups.
The deceased, identified as Hemashree from Rasapalayam village in Satyavedu mandal, Tirupati district, was alleged by her parents to have died due to the negligence of the college management. News of her death led to large-scale protests outside the college by relatives, parents, and members of student unions, including the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) Student Wing and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
Police were deployed to control the situation as demonstrations continued into the evening. Tensions escalated when student union leaders attempted to forcibly enter the premises, prompting a lathi-charge by police, who later detained the leaders and the victim’s mother.
YSRCP Student Union District President Ashrith Reddy accused the management of failing to inform the parents in a timely manner and attempting to distance themselves from the incident. “The student hanged herself in the morning, but till 10 a.m., no message was given to the parents. They moved the body to a nearby hospital and vanished. No one from the management has come forward to address us or the family,” Reddy said.
He further alleged that Hemashree had been under immense academic pressure and criticised the administration for calling the police to suppress protests rather than engaging with grieving parents and students.
Authorities are yet to confirm the cause of death, and investigations are ongoing.
