St Columbia student suicide: Delhi govt forms high-level inquiry committee, reviews schools' mental health regulations
PTC News Desk: The Delhi government constituted a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the death of class tenth boy who died by suicide on November 18 due to alleged harassment by the teachers.
The 16-year-old boy jumped in front of a metro train at Rajendra Place station on Wednesday afternoon. A suicide note recovered from the site accused several teachers of mentally harassing him for years and requested that his organs be donated.
Owing to the seriousness of the incident, the Directorate of Education has formed a high-level committee to carry out a full and impartial investigation.
The committee will look into what happened, why it happened, and who in the school administration may be responsible for the boy’s death.
The committee has been told to submit a detailed report within three days, including facts, analysis, and recommendations. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood also spoke about the case and stressed the importance of having strong mental health support in schools. He said the government is sending letters to all Delhi schools to check whether the CBSE-mandated mental health systems are actually being followed.
“If any school needs support, we will help and hand-hold them. Our concern is that the next generation remains mentally healthy and does not fall into distress,” he said.
After an FIR was registered naming four staff members, including the headmistress, the school has suspended them while the investigation continues.
According to the suspension order, the headmistress for Classes 4–10, the coordinator for Classes 9 and 10, and two teachers have been temporarily removed from their duties.
Officials said this is only a temporary step and may change depending on the results of the investigation.
- With inputs from agencies
