(Image source from: Amazon)

Mother of a 20-year-old Indian-origin student, Arya Singh, who committed suicide in 2013, has sued the online giant Amazon and the University of Pennsylvania over her death. The nursing student committed suicide after consuming cyanide purchased from the online retailer, according to media reports.

In 2011, the 20-year-old nursing student of the University reported an alleged sexual assault by a male student for which no charges were filed and he remained in the campus. According to lawsuit, this could have resulted in a two-year downward spiral that concluded with her cyanide suicide. After complaining on the male student for sexual assault, she put up troubling behavior at school like missing classes and even getting detained for alcohol intoxication, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The suit said, “Despite her problems, university employees’ conduct toward her was unsympathetic, hostile, and at times vindictive.”

It was alleged that one official of the school wrote in an email that she had “no sympathy” for her and the 20-year-old “deserves anything you dish out to her.”

Cyanide crystals from Amazon

In December 2012, the nursing student has order for cyanide crystals through a Thailand vendor from Amazon. Cyanide was listed as a “kitchen” item. The vendor and his company were named as defendants in the suit filed in late July.

The girl was investigated for academic misconduct by the spring 2013 semester, during which she was excluded from registering for classes and was ordered to leave dorm as they wait for a hearing on the academic misconduct.

On the day of the hearing, 8 February 2013, the girl was found unresponsive by her roommate in the dorm. Few hours later, she was pronounced dead.

Until 2 February 2013, cyanide was offered for sale by Amazon. That means till few days before the death of the nursing student. The US bought the poison more than 50 times and minimum 11 people died of it along with the nursing student, said the suit. According report from the New York Daily News, Amazon has not returned requests for comment.

-Sumana