Woman preparing for competitive exams dies by suicide in Karnataka’s Dharwad

Dharwad (Karnataka), Dec 17 (IANS) A 24-year-old woman, who had been preparing for various competitive examinations for the past four years, allegedly died by suicide after jumping onto a railway track at Shivagiri in Karnataka’s Dharwad city on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Pallavi Kaggal, a native of Ballari. According to the police, she was reportedly distressed over prolonged delays in recruitment processes and allegedly took the extreme step of jumping onto the railway track.

Police said they have also gathered information that she was recently engaged. The parents of the deceased are arriving in Dharwad, and the exact cause of death will be ascertained after recording their statements and those of her friends and roommates.

Pallavi had been undergoing coaching for competitive examinations for the last four years. The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Railway Police Station.

Railway police personnel rushed to the spot and conducted a preliminary investigation. The body was later shifted to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital for post-mortem examination. Further investigation is underway.

The matter has taken a political twist with the BJP condemning the incident and targeting the Congress-led government in Karnataka.

“Despite around 2.76 lakh vacant posts in the state, the corrupt Congress-led government is playing with the future of youth by failing to initiate the recruitment process,” the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, said.

“Recently, in Guddadalingannanahalli village of Jagalur taluk in Davanagere district, a youth allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself after being distressed over not getting a government job. Now, an incident has been reported from Shivagiri in Dharwad city, where an aspirant woman who had been preparing for competitive examinations for the past four years allegedly died by suicide after jumping onto a railway track,” Ashoka said.

“Even as unemployed youth are being driven to suicide and are taking to the streets in protest, the Siddaramaiah-led government remains indifferent, sleeping like Kumbhakarna,” Ashoka said.

mka/dpb