Bengaluru: Class 8 girl dies by suicide, parents allege harassment by school staff

Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) A class 8 student of a government school died by suicide after being "scolded" and "humiliated" by teachers and staff, police said on Friday. The incident occurred on Wednesday night at her home in Marasuru Madivala village in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru, but the matter came to light on Thursday morning when her family members found her hanging in her room, they said. In a purported death note recovered from the spot, the girl said an incident at school had "deeply affected" her. “(Because of it...) I have been under a lot of mental stress and pressure. I no longer have the strength or peace of mind to continue living. Please find those responsible and ensure they are punished,” the purported handwritten note stated. Her parents alleged that the school authorities "harassed" and "tortured" the girl, pushing her to take such an extreme step, and demanded action against those responsible. They alleged that she was "humiliated" and "harassed" by a teacher and was scolded for complaining about the teacher and the school staff. The girl and a few of her classmates had recently written a complaint to the headmistress about a teacher. In the complaint, the deceased and her classmates alleged that the teacher behaved harshly with all the students, punished them for minor reasons, imposed a fine of Rs 20, and made them write "I will not repeat this mistake" multiple times. A case of unnatural death has been registered at Suryanagar police station, police said, adding that all the allegations were being looked into. Following the incident, the education department launched an inquiry, with senior officials visiting the school and questioning students. A team led by Deputy Director of Public Instruction Jayaprakash, along with education department officials, conducted an on-site inspection. The officials questioned students inside the classrooms, among them the girl’s close friends and classmates who had regular interactions with her, to gather details related to the case. Speaking to reporters, Jayaprakash said he met the head teacher and other officials and reviewed the situation. “To ascertain what exactly happened and what led to the incident, we have already constituted a teachers’ committee and an inquiry committee, and I have sought a report from them,” he said. “Our officials, including the block education officer, have also visited the school, and I have asked them to submit a report explaining what happened and the reasons behind the incident,” he added. The official said that based on the findings of the report, if anyone was found to be at fault, he would forward it to the higher authorities so that appropriate action could be taken against those responsible. “There are allegations that the incident occurred because of the headmistress. Such allegations will also be examined during the inquiry. The students will be questioned as part of the inquiry,” he said. He added that the parents had already lodged a complaint with the police, who were conducting a separate investigation into the matter. PTI COR AMP SSK