17 March,2009 09:25 AM IST | | Kranti Vibhute and Vinod Kumar Menon
SSC student Bhavi Desai (16) jumped from her seven-storey building in Ghatkopar yesterday after she was allegedly caught cheating. Her distraught father, Deepak, has decided to donate her eyes.
Bhavi was appearing for her SSC exam in her school, Pune Vidya Bhavan, as that was the centre too. Yesterday, she was caught with a chit during her Social Science part-II (Geography and Economics).
She was barred for three years, according to sources. While this was not confirmed by Bhavi's school, a friend of hers said, "We heard she was caught copying and found with chits. That could be the reason for killing herself."
A resident from Bhavi's Sarina building added, "I heard her older sister saw her jump." The Pantnagar police have not recovered any suicide note. A policeman said, "We had not spoken to the family yet because they are not in a state to give a statement. But the exams could be the reason for her suicide."
But Basanti Roy, secretary, Mumbai Divisional Board, said, "Unless the board committee conducts an enquiry and a decision is taken, no one can be barred from the exams. I heard she was caught copying, but we will conduct an enquiry today. It's unfortunate that she is no more." (Inputs by Sapna Desai)
Handle with care
Raj Aloni, principal, Sir JJ Fort Boys' High School, said, "Three years back, a girl whose centre was our school was caught copying. She had chits of the students' digest paper. When she was made to sit separately with one supervisor and two lady constables, she was again caught with 17 digest papers. Then we realised that she had cut open her writing pad and put the papers inside.
We wanted her to write the exam, so she was given a third answer sheet and asked to continue. We took an undertaking from the girl, the policemen present and the children sitting behind and front of her, which said that she was caught copying. I counselled the girl and called her parents to take her home. After an enquiry, the Board committee decides whether a student should be barred. The student should always be allowed to finish the paper, so that they don't panic."
