Scolded by families for being spotted with boys, 4 Bihar girls die by suicide

FIve girls from a crossroads comprising 25 Mahadalit households allegedly consumed envenom unitedly in an agricultural force field, with foursome allegedly succumbing to the toxin and one undergoing treatment, in Bihar’s Aurangabad district, police said on Monday even as search continues for the bodies.Also read: Karnataka minister accuses guv of stalling hate speech bill: ‘Intentionally referred to President’According to police, the incident came to light on Monday when the surviving girl informed them that she, along with four of her friends, had consumed poison on January 29 in an agricultural field allegedly because they were upset over being scolded by their family members who spotted them with some boys.Inspector general of Magadh range Kshatranil Singh said when he and his team reached the spot, a local chowkidar informed them that all four girls had been cremated.Also read: ‘Win-win’ to ‘Mogambo khush hua’: India-US trade deal sparks flurry of reactions from political leadersHowever, locals residents, mostly women and children, refused to speak and “we only found one partially burnt pyre,” Singh added.“The houses belonging to the four deceased were found locked and the family of the lone survivor had fled the village. The village is completely deserted. No one is saying anything...,” said an officer familiar with the matter.Another officer said: “When we reached the village, we found one partially burnt pyre. Normally one would expect four pyres, but it remains unclear which girl’s body was cremated there, with no clear information available, as the deceased’s family members and co-villagers feigned ignorance.”Also read: India tariffs at 18% now: US trade deal sealed after a year of talksIG Singh said: “An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The truth will be out after full investigation. The father of the girl, who is said to be alive, has not appeared before the police and is said to be out of the village at the moment. All the angles are being looked into.”Aurangabad SP Ambrish Rahul said that an FIR has been registered with the Haspura police station against unknown people on the basis of the statement of the chowkidar.“Our investigation is focussing on what led to the incident, how was the poison procured, who all were there at site of cremation? The lone survivor has been tracked and her statement has been recorded and that will hopefully help us to find the suspects,” said the SP.Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).