Violent protests broke out at a university in southern India after a student allegedly committed suicide after she was caught cheating in an exam, officials said Thursday.
Students from Sathyabama University near the city of Chennai torched furniture of their hostels and held noisy protests overnight, footage on news channels showed.
Protestors said the student was forced to take the extreme step after university staff humiliated her and sent out of the exam hall.
On Thursday morning, university officials told local media they had shut the campus down and had asked the students to vacate the hostel.
“The situation is peaceful and under control now,” Chennai police commissioner AK Viswanathan said.
“The management has declared a holiday for more than a week up to December 3. Most of the students have left the campus for their homes,” he said.
The 18-year-old student hanged herself in her room and her body was discovered earlier Wednesday. Demonstrations broke out as the news of her death spread across the campus.
Armed police had been deployed at the campus to prevent further violence, Viswanathan said.
