23 December,2010 06:59 AM IST | | Kaumudi Gurjar and Alifiya Khan
Failure to clear SSC may be why he set himself ablaze, say cops
Residants of the servants' quarters at the University of Pune yesterday saw smoke emerging from one of the houses there and informed the police, who broke open the door to find a teenaged boy had set himself ablaze.
The police said it looked like Prashant Suresh Shinde (16) committed suicide because he was under tremendous mental stress after having failed to clear his SSC for the second time.
"The incident took place when Prashant's parents and elder sisters were out for work," said Police Inspector Mahadev Chavan of the Chatushrungi police station.
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Son of varsity peon
G G Jangamwad, PRO of the University of Pune, said the deceased was the son of a university employee.
"The deceased boy was the son of a peon who works in the Geology Department. He was neither a student nor an employee (of the university)," said Jangamwad. "He had apparently had some quarrel, after which he locked himself in a room and committed the act. As soon as it was discovered, our officials informed the police, who immediately rushed him to a hospital. We don't know what happened after that."
Chavan said the boy was taken to Sassoon General Hospital.
"He was decaled dead upon admission," said Chavan. "We have not recovered a suicide note from his home and we suspect that the boy was depressed after he failed in his SSC exams recently. We also came to know that his father wanted him to study further, but he had great difficulties in his studies."
