PONDA: Two students from the same locality in Palwada Usgao committed suicide reportedly within 12 hours leaving the locals of the village shell-shocked.

The girl, 17, was studying in ninth standard while the boy, 19, was an ITI student. Both took the drastic step at their respective homes in Usgao.

Ponda Police said they received information around 7 pm on Monday that a 17-year-old ninth standard student, Reshma Nagesh Gawde from Palwada Usgao, hanged herself with a dupata tied to a rafter. The police received another call that Vishwanath Manohar Gavde (19) had also killed himself with the help of a sari around 7 am on Tuesday at Sidhanathnagar, around hundred metres away from Reshma’s house.

Ponda DySP Sunita Sawanthi said both the deceased left no suicide notes and also ruled out any love affair between the two victims. There were no complains either from the families of both the deceased and said it was just a coincidence.

The DySP said the girl’s suicide was detected around 6pm. She said that the girl had served a cup of tea to her father at 3pm before she took the drastic step.

Gavde’s father told the police that his son was all right when he went to his room to sleep around 10pm on the fateful night. When there was no response from his son, who used to wake up early in the morning to go for his classes, he forced the door open only to discover his son hanging from the roof. The boy had taken up a part-time job of a driver whilst continuing with his studies, the DySP informed.

The deceased girl is survived by her father, mother and a mentally challenged brother while the boy is survived by his parents and two brothers.

Ponda Police handed over the bodies of the deceased to their relatives after conducting a postmortem.