Bengaluru, July 7 (IANS) A 20-year-old college student allegedly died by suicide after jumping into Sankey Lake in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru, with police investigating whether personal issues, including a reported dispute with her boyfriend, drove her to take the extreme step.

The deceased has been identified as Teju, a resident of Peenya in Bengaluru. She was pursuing her graduation at a college in the Chikkabanavara area.

According to the police, Teju left her college at around 3.50 p.m. on Monday and later reached Sankey Lake. CCTV footage is said to show her walking around the lake premises for several hours. Investigators believe she purchased a bottle of water before entering the lake. She reportedly left her bag, containing her mobile phone and other belongings, near the entrance gate before walking along the footpath and entering the water.

Teju had left her home on Monday evening, prompting her family to launch a search after she failed to return. Throughout the night, relatives searched for her at various locations, including the lake, but were unable to locate her in the darkness.

Before taking the extreme step, Teju allegedly sent a message to her boyfriend stating that she was ending her life. The boyfriend reportedly forwarded the message to her mother, after which the family intensified their search and alerted the police.

Her body was spotted floating in the lake on Tuesday morning by a security guard, who immediately informed the Sadashivanagar police. Police personnel rushed to the spot, recovered the body and shifted it for post-mortem examination.

A Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team visited the lake and conducted a detailed examination of the spot as part of the investigation.

Preliminary enquiries revealed that Teju’s parents had divorced and that she was living with her mother, who works with Namma Metro. The preliminary enquiry suggested that she had been emotionally affected by the separation of her parents and had often expressed that she missed her father’s affection.

Police are also probing her relationship with her boyfriend. Investigators said the couple had reportedly quarrelled about 15 days ago. Although family members had counselled her and encouraged her to move on, police are examining whether the disagreement played any role in the incident.

The boyfriend has been traced and questioned, and his statement has been recorded as part of the investigation.

A close relative of the deceased said the family rushed to Sankey Lake after learning about the message sent to the boyfriend but could not locate her during the night.

“We came here at night after learning that she had sent a message saying she was going to die. We searched for her but could not find her in the darkness. We raise our children with great difficulty, but they sometimes take irreversible decisions,” the relative said.

Police said no suicide note has been recovered, and the exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained. A case has been registered at the Sadashivanagar Police Station, and further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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