Cuttack, April 2: Rashmita Mahalik, the 14-year-old girl who had allegedly tried to end her life on March 22 after cancellation of the annual matriculation examination, today succumbed to her injuries at SCB Medical College and Hospital here.

Rashmita had suffered over 70 per cent burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at the plastic surgery department of the hospital.

A student of Chakradharpur High School in Kendrapara district, Rashmita had allegedly set herself on fire after she came to know that the English examination held on March 21 was cancelled and the remaining exams were rescheduled following the theft of question papers.

Her family members said it might have been the fear of appearing for the English examination again that drove Rashmita to take this extreme step.

“I had spoken to my daughter over telephone and she had then told me that she was not feeling well as she would have to appear for the English examination again,” said Haldar Mahalik, the deceased’s father.

Her parents said Rashmita was an average student and she was happy because her English examination had gone well. “She was disturbed following the cancellation of the English examination and took the extreme step. However, she was never pressurised by family members to perform well in the examination,” Haldar added.

The annual matriculation examination for regular students was postponed after question papers were stolen from Bhagawati Bidyapitha in Kakatpur on March 21.

Question papers of seven subjects were stolen from the steel almirah of Bhagawati Bidyapitha, which subsequently led to the rescheduling of the annual matriculation examination for regular students.

Four officials, including the centre superintendent, deputy superintendent and two clerks, were suspended for dereliction in duty.

The crime branch is investigating into the theft of the question papers.

Officials of the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, said that adequate measures were being taken for the security of the question papers for the matriculation examination starting from April 17.

A final decision regarding storing and safeguarding the “confidential materials”, including question papers, at various nodal centres, is likely to be taken at a high-level meeting tomorrow.

Sources said efforts were on to store the question papers at nodal centres, which may consist of a cluster of 10 to 15 schools. The papers would be sent to the respective schools a day before the start of the matriculation examination.