KOCHI: More than a month has passed, but there is literally no progress in the police probe on what drove 15-year-old schoolboy Mihir to jump to death from the 26th floor of an apartment in Tripunithura on the evening of January 15. The police are yet to register a case based on the allegations by the boy’s mother, Rajna P M, who blamed bullying and severe ragging at the Global Public School (GPS), Thiruvaniyoor, for his death.
Commenting on the pace of the probe, Shereef, Mihir’s uncle, said, “We have no complaints about the ongoing investigation, but we hope that all possible angles are examined and that justice is served.”
However, he criticised the school authorities for neither acknowledging the alleged ragging incident nor taking any action.
“My sister is in a miserable condition and is unable to respond at this time,” he said, explaining why he’s speaking on her behalf.
Shafeeq Madampat, Mihir’s biological father, expressed fear that the investigation is not on the right track. “There were serious external influences during the initial phase of the probe. Instead of focusing solely on the ragging allegations, the investigation should also explore all other possible reasons,” Shafeeq told TNIE.
Further, Shafeeq questioned the police’s reluctance in seizing Mihir’s laptops, tablets, and mobile phone to retrieve his chats and examine his social media accounts.
When contacted, Puthencruz DySP V T Shajan said: “We are investigating the complaint but no case has yet been registered regarding the ragging allegation. We have recorded the statements of the accused students but no evidence has so far emerged to confirm that the alleged ragging took place.”
Sources said the involvement of the police under two different jurisdictions may also be a reason for the delay in the probe. The Thiruvaniyoor ragging allegation comes within the jurisdiction of the Puthencruz station under the Ernakulam Rural police while the unnatural death case comes under the Hill Palace station under the Kochi City police limits.
Meanwhile, the Global Public School authorities refuted claims that they failed to take action. “We have issued notices to the students involved and they have submitted written responses denying their involvement. Their explanations have been handed over to the police, and since an investigation is on, we have been advised to wait for the outcome before making any decision,” said a source connected to the school administration.
A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said preliminary findings suggested the alleged ragging occurred in the first week of December and the boy had seemingly gotten over it. However, the death happened in mid-January, raising suspicions about other factors, he said. Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya said the probe into the unnatural death is progressing. “Further details will only emerge after a thorough investigation,” he said.