13-year-old Mumbai student ends life over being scolded by teacher

The boy said he was under extreme pressure. Representation pic

A 13-year-old boy from Kalyan who died by suicide has blamed his school teacher for allegedly scolding him and his classmate for teasing him after that. The distraught father who had found the boy hanging in the house when he returned from work on Sunday evening was agonised on reading the suicide note. The boy had said in the note that in his absence, his father would henceforth incur less expense. The Kolshewadi police have registered an accidental death report and are further investigating the matter to know the facts behind the suicide.

According to sources, after news about the boy's suicide broke in Kalyan, the school has terminated the teacher named by the boy in the suicide note.

According to the police, the 13 year old boy was a Std VIII student from a well-known English medium school in Katemanivali, Kalyan East. Besides his parents, the boy is survived by an elder sister. The incident happened when his father was at work, while his mother and elder sister were outdoors on some errand.

"When the boy's father, who works in a private firm, returned in the evening, he found his son hanging. The father was still screaming when the neighbours rushed in to call the police. The police reached the spot and shifted the boy to hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors," said a police officer.
The Kolshewadi police team searched the house to found a suicide note inside a book belonging to the boy. The boy clearly wrote that he was under pressure as a teacher had scolded him and a boy had teased him after that.

"I am committing suicide because a teacher scolded me and a classmate teased me. I am under pressure. Papa, as I am not here anymore, now your expenses will also reduce. Don't be angry with my elder sister," stated the boy's suicide note.

According to a boy's relative, the boy had written the note in Hindi using English letters. The note had been found by the boy's elder sister, which the police took custody of when they arrived at the house.

Ashok Kadam, senior police inspector, Kolshewadi police station said, "We have registered an accidental death report. We have found a suicide note written by the boy. We will take statements from relatives and friends and arrive at a conclusion on what could have gone wrong. Appropriate action will be taken against the person responsible."

Meanwhile, Kalyan Congress women's wing president Kanchan Kulkarni met the police in this case and submitted a letter. "The police should take stringent action against the teacher who caused mental trauma to the innocent boy. His family should get justice. Have any other children been subjected to similar treatment? This should be investigated by the police," claimed Kulkarni in the letter.

Kulkarni said, "A few days ago, a 17-year-old from Kalyan committed suicide due to harassment by the school principal. Now, another child has committed suicide. What happened at this school in Kalyan? Are students being tortured to take this extreme step?"

Std VIII
Class the boy was studying in