Fatehpur Tragedy: 12th Grader Priya Maurya’s Suicide Sparks Unrest, 41 Protesters Face Charges
The tragic suicide of Priya Maurya, a 12th-grade student from Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh, has ignited a major protest, leading to charges against 41 people, including six political leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP). Allegedly harassed by her school bus driver, Priya’s despair drove her to leap from the second floor of her school on September 25. Despite being hospitalized in critical condition, she succumbed to her injuries. As her body was being transported for burial, protesters, demanding justice, blocked the ambulance, causing disruptions. The police intervened, registering cases against the accused protesters.
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INDC Network : Uttar Pradesh : The heart-wrenching suicide of Priya Maurya, a 12th-grade student from Shahipur Majra Amani village, Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh, has sent shockwaves through the region. The case took a turn when protests demanding the arrest of her alleged harasser escalated, leading to charges against 41 individuals, including six prominent Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders.
Priya, a student at Saraswati Bal Vidya Mandir Inter College in Khaga town, was reportedly molested by the school bus driver. This deeply disturbing event pushed her to take drastic action on September 25, when she jumped from the second floor of the school building. She was rushed to a private hospital in Kanpur in critical condition but sadly passed away during treatment on Friday night.
The news of her tragic demise soon spread, and when Priya’s body was returned to her village on Sunday evening after a post-mortem, tensions boiled over. Hundreds of residents, angered by the incident and the perceived lack of swift justice, organized a candlelight vigil. They raised slogans against the local administration, demanding the arrest of the accused bus driver and harsher measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The situation took a troubling turn when the protesters, who had gathered in Khaga town, blocked the path of the ambulance carrying Priya’s body. The traffic jam caused significant disruption, further aggravating the situation. The protestors’ blockage of the ambulance symbolized their frustration with the authorities, but it also created hardship for the residents who had to endure a massive traffic gridlock.
The police, already on alert due to the volatile situation, were forced to intervene. Using mild force, including a lathi charge, they cleared the way for the ambulance. In the aftermath of the chaos, law enforcement officials registered cases under various sections against 41 people, including six identified SP leaders: Haider Siddiqui, Noor Alam, Raja Yadav, Prem Narayan Vishwakarma alias Pappu Vishwakarma, Umar Khan, and Manish Diwakar. Thirty-five other individuals involved in the protest remain unidentified at this stage.
Priya’s tragic death and the subsequent protests highlight the deep-rooted issues of safety and justice for women, particularly in educational settings. The case has not only sparked outrage but also drawn attention to the larger problem of harassment and abuse faced by young students. As investigations into both Priya’s case and the protests continue, the region awaits justice for the young student whose life was cut tragically short.
