Teen Girl Kills Self Because She Didn't Have A Smartphone To Attend Her Online Classes

A 17-year-old science college student allegedly killed herself because she was unable to get a smartphone for her online classes.

Bharti Tukaram Chaudhari, a resident of Nashik in the Indian state of Maharashtra, allegedly hanged herself in her home in Hatrundi on Sunday, Jan. 23, afternoon when her parents had left to work.

According to the police, the teen girl hailed from a poor family, and her parents, both daily wage laborers, were unable to buy their daughter a smartphone for her online classes.

The teen would borrow her friend’s phone and attend her classes, but the police say poor network connectivity in the area often interrupted her studies.

"Bharti was studying in Class XI science stream in the post-basic aided ashram school’s college at Aalangun. As per her parents’ statements, the family was poor and she was unable to get an Android phone for online studies. She used to borrow a phone to study but the poor network in the area frustrated her," an official said on Tuesday, The Print reported.

The teen girl’s body was sent to a medical examiner’s office for an autopsy after which the body was handed over to the family for performing her last rites.

The police have registered a case of accidental death and further probe into the incident was underway, the official added.

In another similar incident, an 11-year-old boy from India’s Madhya Pradesh ended his life last week after squandering money on online games without the knowledge of his family.

Suryant Ojha from Shankaracharya colony in Bhopal died by suicide after he spent ₹ 6,000 ($80 approx.) on online games, according to the police.

The Madhya Pradesh government will soon enforce a law in the state declaring online gaming, gambling, and betting as crimes.

The proposed law, that regulates online gaming among children, includes banning websites and applications hosting addictive games.

"It is a very serious issue. These suicides are connected to online gaming. To prevent such incidents, we are bringing in an Act to regulate gaming. The draft of the law is ready and we will soon finalize it," Dr. Narrottam Mishra, Law Minister of the state, said.