Thiruvananthapuram, July 23: Unable to pay hostel fee, a Dalit engineering student committed suicide yesterday, sparking student frenzy here.

Hundreds of pro-Left students went berserk, stoning police pickets and setting ablaze government vehicles.

Rajni S. Anand, 20, jumped to death from the terrace of the seven-storey State Housing Board building, which also houses the office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations.

“I’m going from this world,” read the suicide note found in the bag of Rajni, the daughter of daily-wage labourer Sivanandan and Shantha.

After failing to pay the monthly hostel fee of Rs 1,200, Rajni went back home about six months ago.

As she had been absent for a long time, the government-owned self-financing College of Engineering in Adur, managed by the Institute of Human Resources Development, expelled her.

Rajni rejoined college following talks with an Indian Overseas Bank branch — now sealed by the bank authorities to facilitate investigation — for loan. But she had to discontinue studies after the loan failed to materialise.

The college also refused to issue her a transfer certificate so that she could join a private college near her home, which had offered her free coaching, as she had not cleared all her dues.

Rajni’s brother Shine said she had become desperate after failing to join another college and resume studies.

Chief minister A.K. Antony announced a judicial probe inside the Assembly but the proceedings were stalled by the Left Opposition.

Students from University College targeted the government secretariat and the public-sector bank branch.

Rajni’s family owns only a small house on a 2-cent plot at Neyyattinkara, on the city outskirts.

Union finance minister P. Chidambaram had last week instructed the RBI to disburse educational loans up to Rs 750,000 on personal surety, without mortgage.

The chief minister, too, had taken up student woes at a recent meeting of the State-Level Bankers Committee.