Boy commits suicide after being shamed for love note

Young man had sent the letter to his sweetheart but it reached girl’s father

Ayoung man in Bihar ended his life by jumping into a well after a love letter he had sent to his sweetheart instead reached her father’s hands instead, leading to his public humiliation.

The incident took place at Darshan village in Nawada district, some 115 kilometres south of Patna, early this week.

Aatish Paswan, son of Parmeshwar Paswan, had fallen in love with a local village girl and wanted to marry her. A couple of days back, he sent a love letter to his sweetheart but instead of reaching her, the girl’s father got hold of it.

The girl’s father later reported the matter to the local villagers who hurriedly held a panchayat (local court) over the issue.

At the village court attended by elders, the boy publicly tendered his apology, promising not to repeat the mistake in future.

But the girl’s family members, who were not satisfied with the punishment, assaulted the boy with slippers in the presence of the villagers. Unable to bear the public shaming, the boy fled from the scene and ended his life by jumping into a well outside the village.

Desired response

Last year, a young man from Purnia district had burnt himself to death in front of the house of his sweetheart after not getting the desired response in what the police believed was a case of unrequited love.

A police report says women are more vulnerable to committing suicides than men as a result of failed love affairs.

According to a report by the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB), 97 women committed suicides in Bihar between 2014 and 2016 over failed love against 67 men who ended their lives. The most vulnerable age-group, the SCRB report added, is 18 to 30 years.