A 17-year-old inmate of the Government Children’s Home for Girls in Ramnagar, Varanasi, died by suicide late Wednesday, reportedly depressed over not receiving any family visits for one-and-a-half years. District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Police Investigation Underway
ACP (Kotwali) Vijay Pratap Singh stated on Thursday that Ramnagar police reached the shelter home after being alerted. A forensic team collected evidence from the scene, and the body was sent for postmortem. Police have informed the girl’s brother and will hand over the body after the autopsy.
Background of the Case
According to police, the girl was sexually assaulted by her father, who was subsequently jailed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. She was brought to the Ramnagar shelter in September 2024 after her family refused to take her back. No family member ever visited her at the home, where she was lodged on the magistrate’s order. She was reportedly depressed, said police.
Incident Details
Panic broke out at the Government Children’s Home for Girls when inmates discovered her body hanging in the washroom. Staff rushed her to Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Hospital in Ramnagar, where doctors declared her dead. The district probation officer informed the district magistrate about the incident, after which he ordered a probe into the matter.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading to the suicide and reviewing the shelter home’s protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.
