Two teachers, principal suspended as parents protest child’s death by suicide

Three staff members, including the headmistress, of St Columba’s School, here, have been suspended after an FIR was registered against them in connection with the alleged suicide of a Class X student, who accused them of mental harassment in a note.

Earlier in the day, parents of the 16-year-old child, who allegedly jumped to death at the Rajendra Place Metro station, protested in front of the school demanding justice and fair investigation.

On Tuesday, the student went straight from the school to the Rajinder Nagar metro station where he allegedly jumped from the platform. Bystanders immediately informed the police about the incident. The police recovered his schoolbag from the spot containing a handwritten suicide note.

Pradeep Patil said his son had been complaining for nearly a year that he was mocked, scolded and singled out in class by certain teachers. “Whenever we used to raise the issue, we were allegedly told that the boy lacked focus, especially in mathematics, and needed to improve his classroom discipline,” the child’s father said. Patil claimed that the school even threatened to issue him a transfer certificate.

The deceased’s father claimed that the child reportedly slipped during a dance practice at the stage on Tuesday. Instead of helping him, teachers allegedly removed him from the performance and accused him of falling intentionally. He could not bear the humiliation. One teacher allegedly told him, “Cry as much as you want, I don’t care.” Patil said this incident took place in the presence of the school principal, who did not intervene.

According to the FIR, the child son mentioned the names of three teachers, including the school principal, in the suicide note. The child repeatedly apologised to his family: “Sorry papa, I should have been a good person like you. Sorry mummy, I broke your heart many times; this will be the last time… the teachers are like this, what I say.”

On the day of the incident, the child, who used to go the school by van, left the institution from the back gate and went to the Metro station. His friends later confirmed that he was under mental stress for several months. Patil also alleged that one teacher had been threatening his son for the past four days, warning him that his parents would be summoned and he would be expelled. “He was even pushed once,” the father claimed, speaking shortly before leaving for the hometown, Sangli in Maharashtra, for his funeral.

There was no response from the school administration to the allegations.