MBA student commits suicide

LUCKNOW: A 22-year-old MBA student at Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University hanged herself from the ceiling inside her hostel room here on Wednesday. Astha Singh, a native of Ghazipur, had her third semester examination beginning second half of the day while her roommate Jyoti Mishra had her exam in the morning.The death was discovered by one Astha Pandey who came to take the victim along for examination. After repeatedly knocking at the door, Astha didn’t respond so the friend peeped in through the window to find the victim hanging from the ceiling. College authorities immediately informed the police about the incident and cops cordoned off the room. Astha’s father Virendra Singh is a contractor and lives in Nepal for work. Her uncle Surendra Kumar Singh said, “Astha had been under stress ever since her younger brother died in a road mishap recently.”Shakuntala Misra Rehabilitation University vice chancellor Nishith Rai said, “The girl student who committed suicide was above average in academics and actively took part in extra-curricular activities. I have learnt that she was depressed after she lost her brother in an accident a month ago. In fact, she had been weeping over the phone last night and skipped her dinner too.’’Rai ruled out any possibility of harassment by teachers or students on campus or in the hostel. He added that a departmental inquiry has been initiated to look into other aspects. Astha, said the VC, was not physically challenged but lived with a disabled student in the hostel.