Nishi Ankita Kujur, “a third year law student of National Law School of India University committed suicide by hanging in her hostel room of the university, on Tuesday. Nishi (20) was a native of Jharkhand,” reported the Deccan Herald and Eenadu India.
The Herald cited police reports of a suicide note written by her, apologising to her parents and stating that she had been suffering from abdominal pain, which she could no longer bear.
Update: We understand that her death was unexpected for roommates and friends, and that the reason she gave in her letter was ostensibly her long and recurring illness.
According to the 2014 NLSIU under-graduate allotment list, she was ranked 73rd, gaining admission under the ST Plain quota.
The Times of India had reported in 2014, Kujur from Ranchi had been the CBSE Jharkhand state topper in arts with a score of 96.8%.
We have reached out to the NLSIU administration and student representatives for comment.
In August of this year, Amity Law School (IP) was shocked by the suicide of student Sushant Rohilla, which resulted in protests and some reforms at the university.
Update 23:40: We have included the following statement from NLSIU’s student bar association (SBA):
Dear all,
The Student Bar Association expresses deep condolences for the loss of our beloved Nishi Kujur. Our grief over her passing away is immeasurable and her absence has left an immense vacuum in all our lives. Her tragic death has left us shaken.
Nishi was a jubilant and extremely bright girl. She was also an avid writer of poems. The University has lost a student of great caliber and potential. She had not been keeping well since last trimester. She had been hospitalised for around two weeks back then, was discharged and later readmitted when her illness resurfaced. Her family took her back home and she remained there over the break until college reopened for this trimester. The night before the incident, she fell sick again. It is our understanding that this prolonged illness that befell her is what led to her taking this step, as it became too much for her to bear.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to her family and friends. They are going through the unimaginable. We hope all our students stand by each other and help each other cope up with the loss.
May Nishi rest in peace.
If you or someone you know needs help, please consider contacting any of a number of Indian NGOs dealing with suicide prevention listed here.
Comments
As such, I think it is relevant to record here in a neutral manner, as is that she appears to have been an academically strong student, judging from her CBSE rank.
But until we know more, I don't think any inferences can be drawn.
Law school and iit s are heavily reliant on an input method. Once you make it to law school, it would become a level playing only if there was stronger focus on making people be at par. It isn't.
That and I think it's extremely callous to discard reason of failing health as cause of suicide. I can't imagine how unhealthy someone has to feel for one to chose to die. It's upsetting that this would be a more saleable had she committed suicide because she broke up with her partner.
Did not see any note released from the Univ?
I was pointing out the hypocrisy of Indian liberals. I am pretty sure that there will not be any discussion on LI or any other forum on the measures to be taken for integrating students from less privileged backgrounds in law schools. Thanks
Yes, I agree and thought your point was well-intentioned although I (at least) don't know enough about the case yet to make a judgment on this.
Please, commenters, have a care. She was quite beloved, and leaves behind grieving family and friends, and the NLS community.
PS - Of course it remains important to give voices to those having trouble integrating themselves in college, socially and academically. But that simply isn't the case here, and we don't want the media to twist and distort it into one, however well intentioned it is.
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