‘He begged to change school’: Delhi teen’s parents say shift was planned after session break; family even lined up China trip

NEW DELHI: Four teachers of St Columba’s School were suspended on Thursday after the suicide of Class X student Shourya Patil (16), with the family alleging he had been relentlessly harassed even as they had “promised to move him to another school after the break.”

The suspension order, issued amid an ongoing police investigation, bars the four teachers from entering the campus or interacting with students, staff, or parents.




Police have secured CCTV footage and are preparing summons for the teachers named in the FIR, even as the tragedy has sparked outrage among parents and former students.

Shourya’s family, who travelled to Sangli, Maharashtra, for his last rites, said he had repeatedly complained for six months of being singled out and humiliated for minor issues.

Speaking to TOI on the phone, Shourya’s father, Pradip Patil, said: “For the past six months, he kept telling us he was being singled out and targeted even for normal conversations, and that teachers were humiliating him. We were repeatedly called to school over very small issues, especially in the past four months.”

Days before the school vacations, Shourya had pleaded with his father to pull him out. His father had promised he would be shifted after the break. But the harassment was so relentless the teenager could no longer bear it, alleged his family.

“His vacations were just 810 days away. After that, he only had to come for his pre-boards. We had assured him that once this was over, we would shift him to another school for the next two years. Because 20 internal marks are with the school, we didn’t want to risk his board performance. We thought it was better not to create conflict with the teachers and just wait it out,” he added.

Patil described his son as charismatic and cheerful, someone who loved dancing and had recently represented the school at a competition just a month ago. “We were planning a family trip to China after his board exams. It was his wish, everything was already planned,” he said.

The teen left school through the back gate on the morning of the incident after allegedly being threatened over not performing a dance due to a sprained ankle. Hours later, he was found dead at a metro station.

A suicide note recovered from his bag named the teachers he said had humiliated him and read: “My last wish is that action is taken against them. I don’t want any other child to do something like me.” He also asked for his organs to be donated.

The suspension came as anger mounted outside the school on Thursday, with parents, alumni and relatives gathering in protest. Copies of Shourya’s handwritten note were pasted on the school walls, drawing crowds who stopped to read his final words. Several parents claimed their children had also faced harassment from the same teachers.

Former students said the school’s counsellors “exist only on paper” and do not feel like a safe avenue for complaints.

Police said they have collected details of the teachers named in the FIR and will soon summon them for questioning.

Shourya’s father said the family will continue to fight: “Especially after reading his note… we will not stop seeking justice.”

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