Daijiworld Media Network – Moodbidri (MS)

Moodbidri, Nov 11: An elderly man was arrested in connection with the suicide of a PU girl student, who ended her life on Wednesday November 9.

It is said that sexual harassment was the reason for the extreme step taken by the girl. Accused Sridhar Puranik, who is retired employee of the college as well the owner of the house where parents of deceased girl’s work.

The girl, who is native of Bailoor, was living in the house of her aunt on the outskirts of Moodbidri at Haudal. She was pursuing first PU commerce in the college. On Wednesday, the girl wrote a death note before ending her life and mentioned the name of the retired employee of the college Sridhar Puranik and wrote that the she is taking the extreme step out of frustration due to the sexual harassment meted out by Sridhar Puranik.

On Tuesday, the 17-year-old girl had attended college and complained of extreme ear pain. The college administration called her parents and asked them to take their daughter back home. The parents were working at the house of accused Puranik and they could not go personally due to work pressure.

As the parents of girl were working in the house of accused Puranik, they asked him to bring the girl from college. It is said that Puranik sexually harassed the girl while bringing her back home in his car. The distraught girl, died by suicide by hanging herself in a forest area near the house of her aunt on Wednesday.

As the deceased girl is minor, a case under POCSO and act against harassment of Dalit is filed on accused Puranik. He was produced in court and the court remanded him to judicial custody.