Delhi student kills himself in Bhubaneswar, father says he was sexually abused

New Delhi:

Three weeks after his daughter, a student of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, died by suicide in Bhubaneswar, a Delhi man is still searching for answers. The distraught father claims the 22-year-old said in her suicide note that she had been drugged and sexually harassed at a party.

The fourth-year NIFT student (names withheld) was found dead in her rented accommodation in Bhubaneswar, which she shared with some other students of the college. She was found hanging from a ceiling fan by her neighbor, a fellow NIFT student, and her mother. They had someone break down the door after she didn’t respond when they rang the doorbell or repeatedly called her on her phone.

The student’s father said police registered a case of abetment to suicide only on May 4 after he flew to Bhubaneswar. He has also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission.

He claimed his daughter stated in her suicide note that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by a man at a party, which led her to use drugs and alcohol to cope with the traumatic incident. She had also written that she felt out of place in the fashion world and couldn’t handle the pressure.

Her roommates said they were unaware of such an incident but said she was under stress, which they attributed to fear of placement.

Authorities at the institute declined to comment, but sources said a committee has been formed to investigate the reasons behind her death.

“NIFT does not allow parties within campus where alcohol is served. We don’t know what happened off campus,” a source said.

“I can’t bring my daughter back, but I want to make sure she gets justice. I want to ensure that something like this never happens to any student studying at NIFT,” he added.