Jajpur/Berhampur: Three students allegedly committed suicide over their poor performance in the annual high school certificate (HSC) examination, the results of which were announced by the Board of Secondary Education on Monday.
The deceased students have been identified as Padmalochan Malik of Bari and Laxmipriya Mohanta of Sukinda of Jajpur district and Lili Swain of Ganjam district.
Bari police sources said 15-year-old Padmalochan, son of daily wage earner Kanda Malik of Ratalanga village, had taken the HSC test as a student of Ratneswara Bidyapith. He took poison in his house after coming to know that he had failed in the examination. When Padmalochan's mother saw him vomiting and asked him about the reason, he revealed to her that he had taken poison. His family members rushed him to a local hospital, from where he was later shifted him to Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him received dead.
The police have sent the body for post-mortem. However, Bari police station inspector-in-charge Rosalin Patel said there was no foul play in the case. "Padmalochan took the extreme step over his disappointing results," she said.
In the second incident, Lakshmipriya, 15, daughter of Gourahari Mohanta of Kainjira village in Sukinda police limits, killed herself by hanging from the ceiling of her house on Monday.
Lakshmipriya also failed in the examination. She was a student of Satyanarayan Memorial High School at Sansailo in Sukinda block. Her family members had rushed her to a local hospital on Monday night where doctors pronounced her brought dead. The body has been sent for post-mortem.
Lili Swain, 16, of Narendrapur village in Seragada block also ended her life by taking pesticide after failing in the exam. "We brought Lili to Hinjili Community Health Centre, from where she was referred to MKCG hospital in Berhampur. But, she died immediately afterwards," said her elder brother, Niranjan.
Ganjam district education officer Sanatan Panda said youngsters were finding it difficult to cope with failure in exams. "The students require counselling and extra care from family," he said.
