MALAPPURAM: Student organisations staged protest marches to a private school in Perinthalmanna on Friday following the alleged suicide of a 14-year-old student, whose family accused teachers of mental harassment over academic performance.
The boy, Tejas P, a native of Perinthalmanna, was found hanging in his bedroom on May 2. His father, Hareesh P, lodged a police complaint alleging that teachers repeatedly humiliated his son in front of classmates and threatened to mark his transfer certificate if he tried to shift schools.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the boy's father, Hareesh P, said that, "When we wanted to shift him to another school, the teachers there threatened that they would make a red mark on the school transfer certificate, after which he would not get admission to any other educational institution. He was tense, and that is the main reason behind his death," Hareesh alleged.
However, school authorities denied allegations of harassment during the recording of statements by police as part of the investigation into the death, officials said.
Student outfits including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and Fraternity Movement held protest marches to the school demanding action against the teachers concerned.
Police initially blocked activists of the MSF and Fraternity Movement, later taking them into custody and removing them from the area. SFI activists later entered the school compound and staged a sit-in protest in front of the main gate before being detained and removed by police.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed near the school gates in anticipation of more protest marches, police said.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, call Sneha Foundation: 04424640050, Tele Manas: 14416 (24x7) or call Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline: 02225521111 from Monday to Saturday between 8 am and 10 pm.)
