14-year-old girl in Hyderabad dies by suicide after online harassment via Instagram messages from 16-year-old boy

Summary

A 14-year-old girl in Hyderabad ended her life by hanging herself at her home in Hayathnagar after being stalked and harassed online by a 16-year-old boy. The victim, a Class 9 student, had informed her father about the harassment six months prior, which began when the boy approached her during a walk with her pet dog in a nearby park. Despite efforts by the family to address the issue with the boy’s parents and a failed attempt to file a police complaint, the harassment continued, including messages sent through Instagram. On May 4, the boy messaged the girl “I love you too,” prompting her father to file a complaint at the Hayathnagar police station, which was not registered. The girl’s mother stated her daughter removed her anklets before hanging herself, possibly to alert her father. The police have since registered a case under the BNS and POCSO Act, and an investigation is ongoing.