17-year-old girl dies by suicide after mother scolds her for excessive phone use

A 17-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district allegedly died by suicide on Friday after being scolded by her mother for excessive mobile phone use, multiple media outlets reported.

The incident occurred in the Pachuwara Mathia locality of the Sikandarpur area, The Times of India reported, citing local police. Upset over being reprimanded, the girl reportedly left home and consumed poison near a canal.

A police patrol team discovered her in critical condition and rushed her to the Community Health Centre in Sikandarpur. She was later referred to the district hospital, where she died during treatment. Her body has been sent for postmortem.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the girl had been using her mobile phone frequently, which led to the scolding from her mother. A detailed investigation into the matter is underway.

Similar cases

In a similar incident reported in April from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, an 11-year-old girl, Deepika Dhurve, allegedly died by suicide after her mother took away her phone due to concerns over excessive usage.

In January, a 16-year-old boy from Maharashtra’s Nanded district died by suicide after his father, struggling with financial burdens, refused to buy him a smartphone. The boy had asked for the phone multiple times, but his father, facing loans for farm and vehicle expenses, couldn’t afford it. After the refusal, the boy left home and was found hanging from a tree on the family farm. Overcome with grief, the father then took his own life at the same spot. Both were later declared dead at the hospital.