‘Sorry Mummy Papa’: Engineering student in Chhattisgarh dies by suicide over exam pressure

Raigarh: A 20-year-old engineering student was found dead by an apparent suicide in her university hostel room in the Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, police confirmed Monday.

The student, identified as Princy Kumari, was a second-year B.Tech student specialising in Computer Science. A resident of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, she had been living in a university hostel near Punjipathra while pursuing her degree.

The discovery was made late Saturday night after Kumari’s family grew concerned when she failed to answer repeated phone calls. According to a report by India Today, the family contacted the hostel warden, who discovered the room locked from the inside. Upon looking through a window, the warden found Kumari hanging and immediately alerted local authorities.

Police recovered a suicide note at the scene that detailed a struggle with academic pressure and the financial weight of her education. In the note, Kumari reportedly apologised to her parents, writing, "Sorry Mummy, Papa, I couldn't meet your expectations."

Investigators noted that Kumari was facing significant academic hurdles, including "backlogs" in five subjects from her first year. She was reportedly distressed by the requirement to clear those previous failures while simultaneously keeping up with her current second-year curriculum.

Family members informed police that Kumari had recently requested approximately 100,000 rupees (roughly $1,180) for her semester fees, an amount she expressed guilt over in her final note, citing the use of her parents' savings.

"Initial information suggests that the student was under academic stress, as she was required to appear for second-year examinations along with first-year backlog papers," police said in a statement.

Authorities have conducted an inquest and sent the body for a post-mortem examination to confirm the exact cause of death. Statements from university staff and fellow hostel residents are currently being recorded as part of the ongoing investigation.