2ND LEAD

Eastern University Tamil girl student commits suicide

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 March 2009, 10:50 GMT]
A girl student of Eastern University set fire to herself Sunday around 9:45 a.m inside the bathroom in Women’s Hostel A in the campus, in her third attempt to commit suicide, sources in Batticaloa said. She succumbed to the burns while being rushed to Chengkaladi Hospital where her body is kept for post mortem examination. On 23 February the women hostel female warden was recovered dead from her room in the hostel while on 26 February a female student hanged herself to death in the hostel.

The girl student who immolated herself is Raveenthiran Sutharsana, 23, a 3rd year Arts Faculty student, from Ward 1 in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu district.

Sutharsana is said to have poured kerosene oil all over her body and set fire to it.

She had attempted to kill her self twice before and her mother, who had been called to be with Sutharsana, was staying at the hostel at the time of the incident.

February 23, Marimuthu Premalatha, 28, the woman hostel warden in Eastern University, from Kuruchchi 3 in Chiththaa’ndi, died under mysterious circumstances and recovered dead from her room.

Though said to be suicide suspicion that it was murder was raised at that time and police investigation continues in this case.

February 26, Thanabalasingam Nirusha, 23, a first year Cultural Faculty student from Thu’nukkaay in Mullaiththeevu district, hanged herself to death.

Following the above suicide, all faculties of the university were closed and later opened 16 February.

Arts Faculty lectures are to be suspended for a week while lectures in all the other faculties will continue as usual, Student Union President, S. Mothees, said.

The deaths in the university hostel will not affect the educational activities of the campus, he added.

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