A 15-year-old girl in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district ended her life on Sunday (November 23, 2025) after accusing the principal of a private school she was studying in of sexually harassing her, said the police.
The girl was found inside a study room on the premises of the private school. She has left a note in which she has mentioned the term “bad touch” and that she was sexually assaulted by the school principal nearly a week ago, said Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh.
The principal has been arrested.
“We received information that a student had died by suicide in a private higher secondary school. A police and FSL team reached the spot and investigations were taken up. During search, a note was recovered from her according to which the school principal used to sexually harass her due to which she was ending her life,” Mr. Singh told journalists earlier.
Speaking to The Hindu later, he said the probe had also revealed that the study room was being used as a hostel illegally in the school. The purported sexual assault happened when the girl was cleaning one of the rooms and then threatened her that she would be expelled if she revealed it to anyone, it is further learnt.
The girl had disclosed the incident to her friends and it was being probed whether her parents or other teachers were aware too, said Mr. Singh.
The school principal has been booked under Sections 108 (punishment for abetment of suicide of a child or someone of an unsound mind), 74 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, Section 8 (Punishment for sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO, 2012) and Section 75 (Punishment for cruelty to a child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and arrested, said Mr. Singh.
Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies can seek help and counselling by calling: Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health; telephone: 011-40769002.
Published – November 25, 2025 01:00 am IST
