look news india
A major action has been taken in the tragic case of suicide by Shaurya Patil (16), a class 10 student of Delhi’s prestigious St. Columbus School. Four teachers of the school named in the FIR have been suspended with immediate effect on Thursday. The order issued by the school states that “the matter is under investigation and considering the seriousness of the allegations, it has been decided to suspend you with immediate effect.”
It has also been made clear in the order that the suspended teachers will not come to school nor talk to any student, staff or parent without written permission.
“My son was suffering everything for 6 months”: Father’s pain
Shaurya’s family has returned to their native village in Maharashtra for his last rites. There, grief-stricken father Pradeep Patil told that his son had been a victim of harassment by teachers for the last several months.
“For the past six months, he had been constantly telling us that he was being targeted even for simple conversations and that teachers were humiliating him in front of everyone. We were repeatedly called to school for very small things,” she said.
The family alleges that the harassment had become so cruel that Shaurya had requested his father to withdraw him from school just a few days before the holidays. The father had promised that his school would be changed after the holidays, but perhaps it was too late. The father said, “His holidays were just 8-10 days away. We had assured him that after all this was over, we would send him to another school. We did not want to jeopardize his board results as 20 internal marks are in the hands of the school.”
Heartbreaking thing written in suicide note
A suicide note is also found in Shaurya’s bag, which has shocked everyone. In the note, he had written that he regretted his action and his body parts should be donated to some needy person.
In the note she also wrote the names of the teachers who had allegedly humiliated her. But the most painful thing he wrote was- “My last wish is that action be taken against them, I don’t want any other child to do something like me.”
Anger erupted outside the school, posters of allegations were put up
Many parents, former students and friends of the family gathered outside the school on Thursday to express their anger and grief. Copies of Shaurya’s suicide note were pasted on the gate and walls of the school, and a crowd of parents gathered to read them.
A relative alleged that even on the morning of the incident, Shaurya had been threatened by teachers for not being able to dance due to a sprained ankle.
“Counselors are there on paper”: Students raised questions
The parents and former students present on the spot also raised serious questions on the counseling system of the school. They alleged that counselors in the school exist only “on paper” and students do not feel safe in sharing their problems with them.
Police started investigation
A team of Delhi Police has visited the school and talked to the students and also obtained CCTV footage related to the incident. “We have taken details of the teachers named in the FIR and will soon summon them to join the investigation,” an official said.
