The class 10 student jumped in front of a metro train at the Rajendra Place station on Wednesday afternoon. He was rushed to the nearby BLK Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Four staff members of St Columba’s School — including the headmistress — have been placed under suspension following the registration of an FIR that names them in connection with the alleged suicide of a Class 10 student who had accused them of subjecting him to mental harassment, news agency PTI reported.
As per the suspension order, the headmistress for Classes IV–X, the coordinator overseeing Classes 9 and 10, along with two teachers, have been temporarily relieved of their duties while authorities look into the matter. The action is being described as provisional, pending the outcome of ongoing inquiries.
The 16-year-old boy studying in the school, which located in central Delhi, died by suicide after he jumped in front of a metro after alleging that his teachers subjected him to prolonged mental harassment. His family demanded stringent action against those responsible and accused the school administration of failing to take action despite raising concerns over the victim’s mental health several times.
According to information, the class 10 student jumped in front of a metro train at the Rajendra Place station on Wednesday afternoon. He was rushed to the nearby BLK Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Officials from the Delhi Education Department confirmed on Thursday that a dedicated committee has been set up to investigate the allegations and assess the school’s conduct in the lead-up to the incident.
However, the victim’s father, Pradeep Patil, disapproved of the move as inadequate, saying the suspension was “only temporary” and reiterating his demand for the immediate arrest of the teachers mentioned in the FIR. “We need to send a message that no teacher should treat our children like that,” he said.
Investigators said the boy left behind a suicide note in which he named several teachers, accused them of mental harassment, apologised to his family and asked that his organs be donated.
The FIR, registered at the Rajendra Nagar police station, includes sections pertaining to abetment of suicide. Police are currently recording statements from classmates, teachers and school administrators as part of the ongoing probe.
“My son was a little mischievous, like any child his age, and I had told the teacher that such behaviour is natural in a child. But despite this, the teacher continued to harass him,” Pradeep Patil said while speaking to India Today.
CHANGE OF SCHOOL WAS PLANNED
The family had reportedly been preparing to transfer the boy to another school following his repeated complaints, and were waiting only for his examinations to conclude before making the move.
The father said, “We had assured our son that only 10 days were left for his exams, and after that, we would shift him to another school. He had agreed to this. But three days ago, his teacher reportedly told him, and informed us, that he would be expelled from the school. He became deeply disturbed by this.”
According to him, the situation worsened just a day before the tragedy. Patil recounted that his son slipped during a drama class, but instead of receiving help, he was “pushed and insulted in front of everyone, and he was told he was overacting.”
He added that the same teacher went on to blame the boy for the fall. “The teacher accused him of falling intentionally and when he started to cry, she said ‘don’t do drama. This won’t make any difference to me.’ This humiliation happened in front of his classmates. He could not bear it.”
The father said the suicide note recovered by the police contained the names of three teachers as well as the principal, alleging that they had subjected the boy to continuous mental harassment throughout the year.
“He also expressed a wish to donate his organs to those in need and apologised to his mother and brother for not fulfilling their dreams. His last wish was that justice be done—so that no other child faces what he went through,” he said.
