Caught stealing phone, Bengaluru girl ends life

MOODBIDRI: Shamed after being caught allegedly stealing mobile phones from her hostel mates, an 18-year-old student from Bengaluru committed suicide in Alvas College hostel here on Sunday. According to police, Rakshitha, a first-year BCom student at Alvas College and resident of Jayanagar in Bengaluru, was found hanging in the hostel washroom on Sunday. Police said two days ago, Rakshitha was caught red-handed by her hostel mates stealing a mobile phone, which she later returned to the student. On Saturday night, she went to her room at 10.30pm. On Sunday, when she wasn't found in her room, students started searching for her. As they found one of the washrooms locked, they broke open the door, only to find Rakshitha hanging from a cloth hanger. Sources said she had scribbled a death note on the washroom wall asking forgiveness from her parents for taking the extreme step. According to sources, Rakshitha had written a note alleging harassment by two hostel officials. However, police denied it and said Rakshitha had committed suicide due to shame and not harassment. No written death note was recovered from her. The body was sent to a Mangaluru hospital for postmortem. A case of unnatural death has been registered at Moodbidri police station. -TOI