Shamed over ‘unpaid’ fees, BPharm student ends life in Lucknow

Lucknow: A 25-year-old final-year bachelor of pharmacy (BPharma) student from a private college in Lucknow's Chinhat area died by suicide on June 5 after being publicly humiliated over pending semester fees.The incident sparked outrage among students and led to the arrest of a college accountant, with four other staff members named in an FIR.The deceased, identified as Shubham Kumar, a resident of Rae Bareli, was found hanging in his hostel room number 109 shortly after he was reportedly barred from attending a farewell function and his practical exams due to fee-related issues. According to his suicide note and statements from friends, he deposited the semester fee, but a technical error in the college's internal system continued to reflect Rs 22,000 as outstanding. On the day of the incident, Shubham arrived at the college to take part in practical examinations and the farewell event. However, he was allegedly stopped by the institution's accountant, who reportedly told him in front of peers, "You can join only after clearing your dues." Feeling humiliated, Shubham returned to his hostel. A few hours later, his friends found his room locked. When there was no response to repeated knocks, they broke the door open and found him hanging from the ceiling fan with a rope.Police were immediately informed and arrived at the spot to take the body into custody. A two-page suicide note was recovered from the room, in which Shubham wrote: "I deposited the fees in college, but in the system, it continued to show pending. I tried several times to get it corrected, but nothing worked. I was stopped from appearing for my practical exams. I don't know what my friends will think of me. Please forgive me." Following a complaint by his elder brother, police registered an FIR at Chinhat police station under sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 352 (assault) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The FIR names five individuals from the college, including the principal, a faculty member, the dean, the accountant and another staff member.One of the accused, 32-year-old Mohammad Faiz, a senior accountant originally from Gonda and residing in Chinhat, was arrested on Saturday. Police are currently investigating the roles of the other four accused. Shubham's fellow students alleged that he was previously prevented from attending his practical exams due to the fee dispute. They also claimed that the issue was repeatedly raised with the college authorities, but no resolution was provided.After the news of his death broke, a large number of students gathered outside the hostel and staged a protest demanding a fair investigation and strict action against those responsible. During the protest, some students began recording videos of the scene, which led to an altercation with the hostel warden, who allegedly tried to stop them from filming.Shubham, described by his peers as hardworking and soft-spoken, had no known personal or academic problems except for the fee-related issue. According to the family, he was under stress for weeks due to the college's refusal to update its records despite his repeated clarifications. The incident has once again raised serious questions about the insensitivity of educational institutions in dealing with students' financial and emotional well-being.