A meritorious student studying in Class XII at Fatehpur High School in Nadia committed suicide late Monday night.
Saumitra Dhali, the victim, had consumed poison on Sunday night at his house in Fatehpur area of Haringhata, Nadia. He was immediately rushed to JNM Medical College and Hospital in Kalyani, where he died on Monday night.
The incident happened just a week after his best friend from the same village, Sagar Mondal had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of a toilet on the fifth floor of his hostel at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata. Sagar was a second-year student at the institution. He had committed suicide on May 1.
According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that Saumitra could not bear the shock of his friend's sudden death and hence had decided to end his own life. The deaths of two meritorious students within the span of a single week have caused a pall of gloom to descend over their village. Police have recovered the personal diary of the victim, where Saumitra had apparently mentioned that Sagar was the greatest inspiration in his life. In the diary, he had also written that it was difficult for him to forget Sagar. Hence he had decided to follow in his friend's footsteps.
In his writings, he had apologised to his parents for taking such a drastic step. Police have come to know that the victim had suffered a mental breakdown after receiving the news of his best friend's untimely death. Investigators believe that the deceased had been suffering from depression for the past seven days, ever since he had received the fateful news.
Police have recovered the body and have sent it for post-mortem. According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that excessive emotional attachment to his late friend might have prompted Saumitra to end his own life. The authorities have started a detailed probe into the matter.