Infuriated locals staged strong protest against the shopping mall chain Big Bazar in Tripura after a tribal girl Lahari Debbarma committed suicide following alleged harassment by the audacious employees of the mall.
Lahari, a bright student of Auxilium Girls Higher Secondary School, was harassed on May 24 allegedly over stealing some items, which her mother denied.
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Reportedly, the school authority had also rusticated her from the school over this incident.
Unable to bear this humiliation, she committed suicide on Saturday at her home at Barkathal.
A police complaint of unnatural death has been registered but no action is reported to have been taken.
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The incident has sent shock-waves in the entire Sadar (north) area and tension is running high.
According to primary reports, Lahari along with three of her friends, had gone to Big Bazar for shopping but while coming out she was falsely charged with stealing and made to wait even though no CC TV footage was produced to prove her guilt.
Lahari was allowed to inform her mother Dipali Debbarma in Barkathal over phone and demanded Rs 4,000.
The helpless lady then asked the Auxilium School authority for help and finally a teacher of the school arrived at the ‘Big Bazar’ with the money and rescued Lahari.
Unable to bear the public insult Lahari reached home on Saturday and committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom.
Now her family is demanding justice even as locals are up against the shopping mall.
Political circles here expressed shock over the incident.
While the youth wing of ruling Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) wanted to organize a silent candle rally demanding justice for Lahari, but police denied permission and ended up with standing vigil.
The NSUI protested in front of the Big Bazar demanding booking the culprits and the CCTV footage of the entire incident.
Meanwhile, the Twipra Students Federation (TSF) has demanded a high level magisterial inquiry into the harassment of Lahari Debbarmna and consequent suicide on her part.
However, Big Bazar and Auxilium school authority denied to comment on the incident.