Girl commits suicide after being branded thief by neighbour

A 17-year-old girl committed suicide after being accused of stealing a camera from a neighbour’s residence at Uttarpara in Hooghly.

Police said the victim Puspa Adav was a resident of Kanaipur at Uttarpara in Hooghly. She often used to visit the house of her neighbour Saraswati Sarkar.

A few days ago, an expensive camera went missing from the Sarkar’s house. They alleged that the camera was stolen by the victim, but had failed to show any reason behind doubting her.

They had even wanted to search the victim’s house and approached her parents. The girl and her parents had readily accepted the proposal and allowed them to search their house. Interestingly, the camera was found from the victim’s room. Subsequently she was abused by the Sarkars.

Feeling insulted she told her parents that the camera was not stolen by her. Though her parents were convinced, she felt depressed as everyone in the locality came to know that the lost camera was found from her house.

She felt more depressed when asked by some of her friends that how the camera was found in her room. On Thursday morning, when her mother was busy in household work, she hanged herself from the ceiling of her room.

Later, her mother went to her room and found the door locked from inside. No one responded despite knocking on the door repeatedly. She informed the local people. They came and broke open the door to find her hanging. They contacted the police.

The Police from Uttarpara police station went to the spot and brought the victim down. She was declared brought dead when taken to Uttarpara Hospital. A police officer said that no suicide note has been found. 

“Our first task would be to know whether the camera was actually stolen by her or somebody had kept it in her room without letting her know,” the police officer said.  

The local people later ransacked the house of Sarkars alleging that they had abetted the death of Puspa. All members of the Sarkar family had fled apprehending getting beaten up by the local people.