Delhi Student Suicide: Father Joins Protest, Demands Action Against Teachers

A Class 10 student’s death by suicide has triggered a protest outside St Columba’s School, where parents and students on Sunday demanded firm action against teachers and administrators accused of mentally harassing the boy. According to PTI, the demonstrators said the incident reflected wider pressures faced by schoolchildren and called for accountability from those named in the family’s complaint.

PTI reported that the father of the deceased joined the demonstration, insisting that the circumstances leading to his son’s death must be addressed urgently.

“I am going to speak to the school management today. There is a meeting with the Joint CP this evening. The same is happening in every school, but children do not speak due to pressure from the administration. The school did not even pay him any respect,” he said at the protest site, adding that he would be seeking answers directly from officials.

Protesters gathered at the school gates holding placards reading “Justice for the child” and “No student harassment”, while the boy’s family displayed certificates he had been awarded. Several parents said the case highlighted a troubling environment in which students often hesitate to speak out.

Parents attending the protest spoke of wider concerns about student wellbeing. Reema Sharma said the loss of an only child was a stark reminder of the pressures adolescents face. “Students are going through a very difficult phase. They are vulnerable at this age, and such cases must be prevented,” she said. Another parent alleged that four teachers had been named by the grieving family and demanded an impartial investigation into the allegations, claiming the school environment had become increasingly difficult for students.

A schoolmate of the boy told protesters that the student had been “so distressed that he did not even return home.” The friend said he had written his suicide note at a metro station before taking the extreme step. One protesting parent added that while discipline is part of school life, repeated scolding or personal bias amounted to harassment. “There are thousands of children like him. This should not happen to anyone,” she said.

According to PTI, police confirmed that the teenager jumped from the Rajendra Place metro station platform at 2:34 pm on Tuesday. He was taken to BLK Super Speciality Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. PTI reported that the police also recovered a suicide note in which the boy named several teachers, accused them of causing him mental distress, asked for strict action, apologised to his mother and brother, and requested that his organs be donated.

The family and protesters have urged the authorities to arrest those accused and initiate immediate steps to ensure greater accountability in school systems.

(With inputs from PTI)