'Mujhe pata hai India mein kitna justice mil sakta hai': In final letter, dental student from Jammu Kashmir apologises to parents, says she gave up

July 27, 2025 by News Desk

A final-year dental student from Jammu Kashmir was found dead in her hostel room in Udaipur, Rajasthan, earlier this week.

The 24-year-old, Sweta Singh, was pursuing a BDS degree at a private medical college in the city. Police said she died by suicide. A handwritten note recovered from her room blamed faculty members for “mental harassment” and academic manipulation.

Sweta’s roommate discovered her hanging and alerted the hostel authorities. Her body was taken to a local mortuary, and the postmortem will be conducted after her family arrives from Jammu Kashmir.

The suicide note, written in a mix of Hindi and English, directly accused two faculty members, referred to as “Nani Ma’am” and “Bhagwat Sir”, of prolonged harassment and humiliation.

She alleged that this had been going on for two years and that the college had delayed exams without reason, creating intense stress and uncertainty.

“2 saal se dental staff (Nani Ma’am aur Bhagwat Sir) ke torture pe tha hu” (I’ve been under the torture of dental staff, Nani Ma’am and Bhagwat Sir, for two years), she wrote.

Sweta further described a system where students were passed or failed arbitrarily. “Humara exam nahi lena tha to cold bol dete” (When they didn’t want to conduct exams, they would say we had a cold). She accused faculty of promoting students who paid money, while dedicated students were left behind.

“Paise de paise baccha toh theek utna unka khud ka pata ho” (They only cared about students who gave money).

She highlighted the disparity by noting how some of her batchmates had already started internships months ago while she hadn’t even received final-year internal assessments.

“Humara batchmate intern bhi chuka hai unko 2-3 month ho gaya. Humara bhi yeh final year ka 1st internal bhi na lia aur to she forcefully juniors ka seth” (Our batchmates have already started their internships. We haven’t even had our first internal exam, and they’ve grouped us with juniors).

The mental burden had become unbearable. “Bhot torture kiya ha inhone, sach ma ab explain karne ki himmat nahi thi” (They tortured me so much, I no longer had the strength to explain it).

She described how her “capacity ka upar chala gaya” (her mental limit was crossed) and that her career felt destroyed.

Sweta also expressed a deep loss of hope in the system. “Mujhe pata he India ma kitna justice mil sakta ha” (I know how much justice one can expect in India). Yet she pleaded for accountability: “Agar mujhe justice milta ha toh please Nani aur Bhagwat ko permanent jail ma daal do” (If I get justice, then please put Nani and Bhagwat in permanent jail).

Her final words are haunting: “Main free hona chahti thi is jail se, vo ma hogyi. Baki bhagwan ji dekh he rha hoga khul sa toh” (I wanted to be free from this prison, and now I am. God must be watching from above).

Following her death, protests erupted on campus. Students marched, shouted slogans, and blocked a nearby road.

They demanded the arrest of the faculty members mentioned in the note and accountability from the college administration.

One protestor said, “They never tell us when exams will be held. Humare parents poochte hain, humare paas koi jawab nahi hota. Jab kuch bolte hain toh dhamkaya jata hai” (Our parents ask about our exams, but we have no answers. When we speak up, we are threatened).

The college director promised full cooperation with the police and strict action if the allegations were proven. “If any staff member is found guilty, strict action, including termination, will be taken,” he said.

SHO Ravindra Charan of Sukher Police Station confirmed that a suicide note had been found and that a formal investigation was underway.

This is the second reported student suicide in Udaipur this month, raising serious concerns about institutional pressures in higher education.

Across India, student suicides, especially in professional courses, are rising at an alarming rate.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has consistently recorded hundreds of such cases annually, with academic stress, delayed evaluations, and a lack of support systems among the leading causes.

From Kota to Kottayam, students describe similar experiences: arbitrary treatment, lack of transparency, extreme academic pressure, and faculty that seem indifferent or hostile. In many cases, institutions delay exams, mismanage schedules, and foster toxic power dynamics.

Sweta’s death is not just an individual tragedy, it exposes the deeply flawed and often exploitative framework of India’s education system. Her note shows a student pushed beyond her breaking point not by failure or personal shortcomings, but by a system that ignored her pain and destroyed her confidence.

Her story echoes that of many students who feel trapped in academic environments where mental health is neglected and dignity is routinely compromised.

“I wanted to be free from this prison, and now I am,” she wrote.

Sweta Singh’s death should not be seen as an isolated event, it is a warning. Unless meaningful reforms are introduced, and accountability is enforced, more students may feel their only escape is silence and death.