A woman in India has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her teenage daughter. The crime occurred after the daughter lied about her academic performance.

Bhimaneni Padmini Rani, a 59-year-old from Bengaluru, Karnataka, fatally stabbed her 17-year-old daughter, Sahiti Shivapriya, on April 29, 2024. Sahiti had been under pressure to succeed in her Pre-University Course (PUC) examinations, equivalent to A-levels in the UK. However, she had failed five of her tests.

Despite her failures, Sahiti informed her mother that she had passed with high marks. A confrontation ensued when the daughter admitted to failing one subject and blamed her mother for lack of support. Rani, who had boasted to relatives about her daughter's supposed academic success and plans for university in the US, was enraged upon discovering the truth. She had told relatives that her daughter was likely to attend a US university.

Rani expressed concern about the humiliation she would face if the truth were revealed. She also considered taking her own life. Rani sustained injuries during the incident but recovered after receiving medical treatment.

This case highlights the intense academic pressure prevalent in India, where failure can carry significant social stigma. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates a concerning trend of student suicides in the country.

The NCRB reported a significant number of student suicides in 2021. The rate of student suicides has been increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding both population growth and overall suicide trends. Over the past two decades, student suicides have grown at a rate double the national average. Despite a decrease in the population of young people, the number of student suicides has increased substantially over the last decade.