Student dies after jumping from hostel’s 5th floor; Told mother she won’t rejoin next session
Babushahi Bureau
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), September 29, 2025 – In a tragic incident, a ninth-grade student of Roots Country School, Bagi, in Kotkhai sub-division of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh, died after jumping from the fifth floor of the school’s hostel building early Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 6 a.m., when most students were asleep due to the Sunday holiday.
The deceased has been identified as Jessica Sharma, daughter of Deepak Sharma from Urlana village, Panipat district, Haryana. Jessica had been studying at the day-boarding school for the past two years.
Following the incident, Jessica was rushed to the Kotkhai Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead. Her post-mortem is scheduled for Monday at IGMC Shimla. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the reasons behind her death.
Family members stated that Jessica had recently returned home due to illness and was participating in the school’s NSS camp. She had won two medals at the camp in recent days. According to her family, Jessica had never mentioned any problems at home or school, leaving the reasons for her actions unclear.
Jessica’s uncle, Amit Sharma, revealed that on Saturday evening, she had called her mother to say she did not wish to be enrolled in the school for the next session. Jessica was reportedly performing well academically, making her sudden decision all the more shocking.
Police, along with family members, reviewed CCTV footage from the school and hostel. The footage shows Jessica going to the fifth floor, but the exact point from which she fell or jumped is not clearly visible; only her fall is captured. Jessica’s elder brother is also a student at the same school, currently in 12th grade.
Shimla Police Superintendent Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed the incident and stated that the investigation is considering all possible angles.