New Delhi: A day after the tragic death of a 16-year-old student in a private school, the school found itself at the centre of intense public anger, leading to the suspension of the principal and two teachers named in a police complaint. The action came after the boy’s parents and local residents staged a protest outside the campus, demanding accountability and a transparent inquiry.
The Class X student died on Tuesday after allegedly jumping from the platform at Rajendra Place Metro station shortly after leaving school. Police said they recovered his schoolbag at the site, inside which a handwritten note was found describing prolonged mental distress and naming three staff members.
According to the boy’s father, Pradeep Patil, his son had repeatedly shared over the past year that he was being humiliated and rebuked in class. Patil said the family’s attempts to address the issue with school authorities were dismissed, with teachers allegedly blaming the child’s academic performance and discipline—especially in mathematics.
The situation reportedly escalated earlier the same day during a dance practice session. The student is said to have slipped on stage, after which teachers allegedly removed him from the performance and accused him of doing it deliberately. Patil claimed one teacher used harsh words as the principal looked on without intervening. “He came home many times feeling defeated, but what happened on Tuesday broke him,” Patil said before leaving for Sangli, Maharashtra, where the family will hold the funeral.
The FIR states that the suicide note contains the names of the principal and two teachers and includes repeated apologies to his parents, along with references to alleged mistreatment. Friends of the boy later told police that he had been under significant emotional pressure for months and feared being summoned along with his parents over disciplinary issues. One teacher had allegedly threatened him with expulsion and, in a separate incident, reportedly pushed him.
Investigators revealed that instead of taking his usual van home, the child quietly exited the school through a back gate before heading to the Metro station.
