Three girl students of SVS Yoga Medical College at Kallakurichi near Villupuram in Tamil Nadu committed suicide by jumping into a well inside the college campus on Saturday.
In a suicide note, the girls alleged that the college management had charged huge amount of fees but not provided adequate facilities.
The girls have been identified as second-year students E Saranya (18), V Priyanka (18), and T Monisha (19). They were doing naturopathy course.
The suicide note signed by three of them also alleged that the college management used to torture the students who questioned the exorbitant fees charged by the management.
The bodies of the girls were found as tied together on Saturday evening.
It is known that the girls have mentioned the name of college chairman Vasuki Subramanian for their death. Since Vasuki Subramanian has been absconding since the incident, police have arrested her son Sukhi Verma.
Recently the college had witnessed several protests staged by the students accusing the management of charging exorbitant fees and not providing adequate facilities to students.
In the suicide note, the girls have alleged that though the management had charged fees of Rs. 6 lakh; the college lacked proper classes and teachers.
The police have registered a case and a team headed by the district Superintended of Police (SP) has started an investigation.
In September and October last year, some students had tried to commit suicide in the college as part of their protest against the huge fees charged by the management.
“The only benefit they received from that failed suicide pact was shifting of their hostel to another building. Still the government or authorities concerned turned a blind eye to the violations of the management,” a former teacher of the college told The Indian Express.
In 2010, the Madras High Court had warned the college for demanding whole course period fees from a first-year student for issuing a transfer certificate.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa expressed grief over the suicides and announced Rs.1 lakh to each of the bereaved families.
The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and ordered preservation till January 27 of the body of T. Monisha, one of the three girl students who committed suicide.