DPS Faridabad's Academic Head Arrested In Connection With Student Suicide Case: Report

A faculty of Delhi Public School, Greater Faridabad has been arrested for allegedly abetting the death of a student by suicide after he alleged facing harassment due to his sexuality and bullying at school in a note. The Haryana Police arrested the Academic Head of the school in connection with the case on February 27.

According to the investigating police officers, the faculty was arrested and taken to the BPTP Police Station in Faridabad, after a First Information Report was lodged against her.

The mother of the deceased Class 10 student alleged that he was harassed in the school over his sexuality and that the school had ignored the mother, who is also a teacher, when she had raised a complaint on the issue.

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DPS Faridabad Student Suicide

The minor student died by suicide on February 24 and left behind a note in which he accused the school of bullying. The note reportedly addressed to the mother stated, "This school has killed me. Specially higher authorities...tell ninna and bade papa about my sexuality and whatever happened with me. And please try to handle them...You are wonderful, strong, beautiful and amazing. Don't care what relatives say..."

According to the police, the incident took place around 9:15 PM last thursday. The student's mother had gone to visit her father when she received a call from the neighbour, informing her that her son had jumped off the building. Post which she rushed to the hospital where the child was declared dead.

The Spokesperson of Faridabad Police Sube Singh told The Indian Express that the student lived alone with his mother. Last year, two children had allegedly made lewd comments against the deceased student and the mother had complained to the principal about the incident. But allegedly they did nothing.

Singh also said that the student was in depression due to the incident. However, later the pandemic hit and due to lockdown, the school was shut and he remained at home. After the school reopened, the student started going back to give exams. He allegedly felt mentally harassed and requested help from a teacher, who allegedly accused the student and his mother of troubling her.

The deceased child's mother said that she had filed several complaints but no action was taken. The student also had dyslexia and in a recent science paper was unable to solve some parts of it, following which he asked for help from "the headmistress" but was rebuked.

Station House Officer Arjun Dev told the media that based on the complaint registered by the mother, the academic head was charged under section 306, which deals with abetment of suicide, of the Indian Penal Code.

Prior to her arrest, she told ANI, "His mother works in our school. She gave us a written document mentioning the names of the students who used to trouble her son. Those students are no longer part of our school."

SheThePeople reached out to DPS for their comment on the issue, but haven't received any response as of yet.