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Ramya, a 19-year-old nursing student, was allegedly pushed down from the second floor of the government hostel in Saraipalya late Saturday evening.

Hailing from Kadur in Chikmagalur district, she was studying at the nursing college in Ullal and staying with her classmate Tejaswini at the Backward Community Hostel of the Social Welfare Department.

Following allegations by Tejaswini that Ramya had stolen Rs 1,000 from her, it is said a tiff had broken out between the two. Ramya, in her statement to the police, said though she had not stolen the money, Tejaswini, joined by her friends in the neighbouring rooms – Kantamma, Ashwini and Shwetha - abused and physically assaulted her.

Ramya claimed that Tejaswini and her friends pushed her down when she had gone to switch on the water heater.

Fall interrupted by tree

Ramya’s fall from the parapet was interrupted by a tree branch and saw her land on the ground on her back.

She was rushed to the Baptist Hospital where she is receiving treatment. Hospital authorities said she suffered a vertebral body fracture and underwent surgery on Monday. Ramya suffered a major injury in the spinal cord. It will take two to three days to ascertain if she will be able to walk in the future, they said.

Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy, on Monday, visited her and assured her family that the government will bear cost of the treatment.

According to Ramya’s sister Ranjeetha, Ramya never used to fight with anyone. She said Ramya had told her that Tejaswini and others were angry that she had not allowed them to copy from her paper during the recent exams.

They foisted the charge of stealing money on her and engaged her in a fight, she claimed. Ramya’s  mother Ambika said she would not allow her daughter to continue her studies in the City and take her back to their village after treatment. 

The Hennur Police have registered a case against the four girls – Tejaswini, Ashwini, Kantamma and Shwetha - for assault and questioned them. The girls, according to the police, said they had a scuffle with Ramya Saturday evening and denied that they deliberately pushed her down. They termed Ramya’s fall as an accident.