Navi Mumbai: Bullied, bashed up in front of crowd, teenager ends life

Kshitij Wandekar was found hanging from the ceiling in his room on November 12

Bullying and assault at the hand of a classmate led a 16-year-old from Navi Mumbai to take his own life. Nhava Sheva police have booked two minors in connection with the case, but are yet to apprehend them. Sources said the boy, Kshitij Wandekar, was humiliated and beaten up by the accused outside their college campus in front of around 100 people, none of whom came forward to lend a helping hand.

Kshitij was found hanging from the ceiling in his room on November 12 by his father Dinkar after the minor did not come out of his room to take his tea at 5 pm, as he used to.

"When he didn't open the door after repeated knocking, I pushed it and to my horror found him hanging by the ceiling with a dupatta," the grieving father said. He immediately called family as well as police who took Kshitij to the sub-district hospital in Panvel but the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

On November 14, Kshitij's elder brother Ruturaj looked through Kshitij's phone to find out who he had called last. "When we called his friend he had last talked to, we learnt about the incident that led to his suicide. His friend shared their chats from that day," Dinkar said.

"When my son was beaten up, hundreds of passers-by just watched; nobody stopped the assault. It broke my son from the inside. He felt he would forever be bullied and took this extreme step," he said.

The Wandekar family then filed a complaint with Nhava Sheva police, acting on the police two minor under sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The incident

Kshitij was a Std XII student in SS College in Seawoods. He ran into hot water with a classmate after Kshitij allegedly referred to the accused as ‘charsi' or drug addict when a female friend asked him. The accused learnt of this and demanded that Kshitij tender an apology via video or else be beaten up in public on November 12. Kshitij did not abide, and was thrashed by the two minors on the said date.

Friend speaks

After Kshitij was beaten up and left alone, he took an auto home and narrated the incident to a childhood friend. "He was really sad and feeling suicidal. He felt if he went to college on Monday he would be beaten again. I tried to console him and asked him to speak to his parents," the friend said. "When he reached home he stopped responding. I was in Satara at the time and did not have the phone numbers of his family members to check on him," he added.

Cops speak

"We have the CCTV footage where he was beaten up and also his chat with his friend. Both the accused are minors. We will take their custody and present them before the Juvenile Justice Board soon with the charge sheet," said Madhukar Bhate, senior inspector, Nhava Sheva police station.

Call us!

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call for help 1800-5990019: Kiran, the Govt helpline 022-25521111: TISS icall 9820466726: Aasra