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A 23-year-old nun allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her room at the Saint Mary's Convent in the Port area in Kollam, Kerala [Images].

The body of the nun, who belonged to the Holy Cross Order, was found hanging from the ceiling fan inside her room at the convent on Monday evening, police said.

She was identified as Sister Anoopa Mary of Kanjiracode near Kollam.

According to police, a note recovered from the room of the deceased nun stated that she was taking the extreme step as she was not able to withstand 'harassment' from a senior nun of the convent.

Sister Anoopa came to the convent after she was conferred nunhood two months ago. She was a teacher in the Upper Primary School attached to the Convent, police said.

Before coming to the convent, she was staying at Vimalahryidaya Convent in the city.

Pappachan, a cook of the Bishop house at the convent, is Mary's father.

Meanwhile, Kerala State Women's Commission wanted a probe into the nun's death and wanted the guilty to be punished.

Commission Chairperson Justice D Sreedevi said that women should have the freedom to live with dignity as enshrined in the Constitution.

D Sreedevi said the nun's death in the convent gave credence to the Commission's recent suggestion for certain rules on girls enrolling as nuns, which had triggered protest from various Christian organisations and the Church.

The Commission had asked the government to take action against parents sending their daughters below 18 years of age to convents to become nuns.

The panel also wanted the age limit prescribed for the women, who voluntarily decide to lead a religious life and action taken against the parents who forcefully send their daughters to convents.

The panel sought family property rights assured for the women being sent to convents as nuns and some mechanism put in place for rehabilitation of those who were returning from the convent.