Class 10 girl found dead with wrist slit, plastic bag around head in Kolkata School; initial probe suggests child was struggling with depression

Kolkata: A class 10 student of a reputed girl’s school in south Kolkata was found dead on Friday in a washroom of the institution with a plastic bag wrapped around her face and injury marks on her left wrist, police said. The authorities of the school in Ranikuthi area informed the police about the girl, a topper of her class. She was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her “brought dead”. [caption id=“attachment_3465774” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kolkata Police. AFP[/caption] “There are also some marks of self-inflicting hesitating injuries on her left wrist. But doctors said those are not responsible for her death. The body has been sent for post mortem for a clear picture,” a police officer said. The police recovered a few pages of hand-written notes from near the girl’s body. Asked about the content of the notes, the officer said, “It was written that the girl was under such stress that she could not sleep properly in the last three months. We have spoken to her parents but, they are also under such a trauma that we have limited our questioning.” “She was a very bright girl and was very keen to get through to the Indian Statistical Institute. Initial investigation reveal that she was under pressure for that,” the officer said. On whether it was a case of suicide or murder, the officer said, “At the moment it is under investigation. Our forensic experts are collecting evidence from the spot. We are also watching CCTV footage from the school.” When contacted, the school authorities refused to comment on the matter. Incidentally, in December 2017, two physical training instructors of the same school were arrested following allegations of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl inside its premises, which led to a massive agitation by the guardians.