Seven girl students attempted suicide here on Saturday afternoon by consuming the poisonous Cerbera (Othalanga) fruit, police said. The incident occurred at the pre-metric hostel in Chakkuvalli near Sasthamkotta, Kollam district, Kerala.
Identified as Athira, Revathi, Remya Rajan, Ambili, Sreethu, Rajani and Aswathy Krishana — of various classes — the students feared punishment for bunking class from the warden and school teachers and decided to commit suicide.
The seven from the Govt HSS, Poruvazhi, near here, abstained from their classes for the day and visited their friend’s house at Pulimthitta. They were spotted by a school teacher while they were returning from there. The girls were scared of punishment, police said.
“The teacher who spotted the students informed the hostel warden, Rema Devi. The warden went in search of the students and located them at a nearby place and directed them back to the hostel. Later, it was found they consumed Cerbera. The warden rushed them to a private hospital," police said.
“The government will meet all the hospital expenses of the students and extend the necessary support to them. The RDO in Kollam has been directed to inquire into the incident as directed by AP Anilkumar,
minister for welfare of scheduled castes,” district collector PG Thomas told DC.
The students appeared out of danger, as they had consumed only small quantities of the fruit. Timely intervention of the warden saved the life of the students, doctors were quoted by the collector as saying.