Boy serious after suicide bid

Hyderabad: A Class VIII student of Nalgonda, who left a suicide note and went missing from school, is now battling for life at Andhra Hospital in Vijayawada after a suicide attempt on Saturday. G. Nagarjuna Reddy, 13, set himself ablaze in Chillakallu village in Krishna district on Saturday morning, and was rushed to hospital by locals. The victim had alleged that he was harassed by the school correspondent and two other students regarding a theft that occurred in the school three days ago.

Tension mounted at Chaitanya Concept School at Huzurnagar as parents of the victims and villagers staged a protest against the management. They alleged that the negligence and highhandedness of the management was responsible for the incident. They also filed a complaint with the police demanding criminal prosecution of the school correspondent Dhamodar Reddy whose name was mentioned by the boy in his suicide note. However, a case is yet to be booked.

Police said Nagarjuna sustained 80 per cent burns and has been admitted at the Andhra Hospital in Vijayawada. "The boy traveled to Chillakallu village in Krishna district and burnt himself near a petrol pump," said Huzurnagar SI A. Ranjit Reddy. The petrol pump workers extinguished the fire and alerted emergency services and the police. "The boy was rushed to hospital, where he gave us the phone number of his parents. We called and confirmed his identity," said Chillakallu SI M. Vamshi. The Chillakallu police have started an investigation into the incident.  Cops suspect the boy must have bought petrol from the bunk to pour over his body.   

Nagarjuna Reddy, who belongs to Kothur village, left his hostel near the school on Thursday evening. The hostel staff found the suicide letter from his room in which he said that he was harassed by the school correspondent. Nagarjuna was questioned by the school correspondent over a theft that occurred in the hostel two days ago. A person in the hostel lost Rs 500 and Nagarjuna was accused of stealing it. Though he had denied the charge, two students and the correspondent continued to blame him, an official from Nalgonda police said.