Hyderabad: A young engineering student, Jadav Sai Teja, aged 22, took his own life in his hostel room at Siddhartha College in Hyderabad. He was reportedly pressured by friends to drink alcohol and pay a hefty bar bill of Rs 10,000. Originally from Adilabad, Jadav attended a private institution and left a video message explaining the pressure from friends to settle the expensive bill after a party.
The tragic event occurred on Sunday evening after a disagreement over the bill at a bar in Medipally. Authorities clarified that it was not an incident of senior ragging but rather severe harassment and extortion by his peers. Those involved face charges of abetment to suicide, extortion, and breaches under the SC & ST Act. Police are actively searching for the individuals identified in the video message.
This incident raises alarms about the prevalence of peer pressure and harassment among college students. Cases of bullying, financial pressure, and forced partying have been increasingly reported, sometimes leading to dire outcomes.
Ragging, a form of bullying or harassment by fellow students, continues to be a significant problem in Indian educational institutions.
