Delhi School in Turmoil: Staff Suspended Over Teen’s Tragic Suicide Amid Harassment Claims

In a shocking incident that has raised serious questions about student welfare in educational institutions, four employees at a prominent Delhi school have been temporarily suspended following the suicide of a 16-year-old student who accused them of relentless mental torment.

The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday afternoon when the Class 10 boy from St Columba’s School in central Delhi leaped in front of a moving metro train at Rajendra Place station. He was immediately transported to the nearby BLK Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival, news agency PTI reported.

Authorities swiftly registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Rajendra Nagar police station, charging the suspended staff with abetment to suicide under relevant sections of the law. Those relieved of duties include the headmistress for Classes IV through X, the coordinator for Classes 9 and 10, and two teachers. The suspensions, issued by the Delhi Education Department, are provisional as a dedicated committee probes the school’s handling of the matter.

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The boy’s father, Pradeep Patil, has voiced deep frustration with the measures, labeling the suspensions as mere stopgaps and pressing for the immediate detention of the implicated educators. “We need to send a message that no teacher should treat our children like that,” he told India Today, his voice heavy with grief.

According to Patil, his son endured months of psychological abuse despite repeated pleas to the school administration about the boy’s deteriorating mental state. Describing the teen as typically playful—”a little mischievous, like any child his age”—Patil recounted how he had personally assured one teacher that such behavior was age-appropriate, only to see the harassment intensify.

The family had planned to relocate the boy to a new school once his exams concluded in about 10 days, a decision the teen had accepted. But the pressure escalated three days prior when a teacher warned of his expulsion, a threat relayed to the parents as well. The breaking point came the day before the fatal act: during a drama class, the boy slipped and fell. Rather than offering support, the teacher allegedly shoved him, publicly berated him for “overacting,” and dismissed his tears with cutting words: “Don’t do drama. This won’t make any difference to me.” Classmates witnessed the humiliation, which the teacher later blamed on the boy’s supposed intentional tumble.

A suicide note recovered by investigators named three teachers and the principal, detailing a year of unyielding mental cruelty. In it, the boy expressed remorse to his mother and brother for dashed aspirations, urged the donation of his organs to aid others, and implored for justice to shield future students from similar ordeals.

Police continue their inquiry, gathering testimonies from peers, faculty, and officials, while awaiting the post-mortem findings. The Delhi Education Department has affirmed the committee’s role in scrutinizing the allegations and the institution’s response—or lack thereof—to the family’s earlier warnings.

This heartbreaking case underscores the urgent need for robust safeguards against emotional abuse in schools, leaving a grieving family to demand accountability amid profound loss.