Tribal girl studying at Ashram school dies under suspicious circumstances in Adilabad, parents cry foul

Lalithya (13), a Class IX student at the school, reportedly passed away due to epileptic seizures. She was a native of Morkandi village in Bazarhathnoor mandal.

Adilabad: A girl student died under suspicious circumstances at an Ashram school run by the Tribal Welfare Department in Ichoda mandal centre on Monday.

Chikram Lalithya (13), a Class X student at the school and a native of Morkandi village in Bazarhathnoor mandal, died reportedly due to seizures caused by a bout of epilepsy. However, Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA)-Utnoor project officer Khusbhu Gupta said Lalithya may have died of a respiratory-related ailment. She issued a press statement after conducting enquiries into the death of the student on Monday evening.

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According to primary information provided by doctors, Lalithya may have died of some respiratory-related disease. However, complete details of the death would be known only after receiving the post-mortem report. The student was found dead by her classmates in the school dormitory by morning, the statement read.

According to the ITDA project officer, the student had not showed any health problems during a health camp held by a team of doctors from the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram in the school on March 7. She had a hemoglobin level of 10 grams.

School headmaster Uttam Das informed her parents that she was found dead in the hostel with froth from her mouth and asked them to collect the body. The parents, who rushed to the school, expressed doubts over the death of their daughter. They confronted the headmaster, alleging that his negligence claimed the life of the girl.

They demanded stern action against those responsible for her death, justice and compensation. They were shifted by police from the spot for confronting the school staff.

The body was, meanwhile, shifted to a government hospital in Boath for a post-mortem examination. A case was registered based on a complaint received from Lalithya’s father Thirupathi. Investigations were taken up.