A heartbreaking tragedy has struck Sabaragamuwa University as a second-year engineering student, Charith Dilshan, 23, has reportedly taken his own life following an alleged bullying incident.
Charith, a resident of Ihalagama, Gampola, had returned home on April 28 after attending the university’s Avurudu festival. On the evening of April 29, he was found to have died by suicide, having hanged himself behind his home.
Relatives and friends claim that an incident that occurred during the university’s Avurudu celebrations deeply affected him and may have directly contributed to his death.
Speaking through tears, Charith’s mother recounted the horrific details her son had shared:
“After he left, he tortured my son, stripped him of his underwear, banged his head against the wall, and pinned my son with my shirt. After that, he pushed him into a cupboard. After returning home, he couldn’t even face me. Under that pressure, my son said to me… ‘Don’t let children suffer like this again…’”
Charith’s father also voiced serious concerns about ongoing harassment:
“For the past two years, my son has been harassed by people in the senior batch. I have lost my son. I kindly request the relevant authorities to take appropriate steps and enforce the law so that children who are selected for university in the future do not face such harassment and are not subjected to such suffering.”
The grieving parents now appeal for justice and systemic change to ensure the safety and dignity of all students in Sri Lanka’s higher education institutions.
