Student’s death: Kin allege harassment by teachers

Kozhikode: The death of a Class VIII student of the Presentation Higher Secondary School, Perinthalmanna, triggered widespread protests after the parents of the student alleged that their son took the extreme step due to the threats and the harassment he faced from the teachers.Thejas P of Pookode House, Cheerattamanna, was found dead at his residence on May 2, in a suspected case of suicide. Police on Friday recorded detailed statements from the parents of the student, following a complaint submitted by the boy's father to the district police chief. Student organizations, including SFI and MSF, took out protest marches to the school demanding action against those responsible. The student's father, Harish, has lodged a complaint alleging that the school authorities denied his son a TC and that the headmistress and other teachers mentally and physically harassed the student, which drove the child to suicide.Harish and wife Jisha told reporters that the school authorities had mentally harassed their son after levelling false allegations, following which the family decided to shift him from the school and sought a TC."The school authorities said that the student has failed in the moral science examination and that he has to pass the examination if the TC is to be provided. As he had passed in all general subjects and we told him that he was being shifted to a govt school and a pass in the moral science exam conducted by the school was not necessary. But the school authorities insisted on it and he wrote the examination again. The teachers further threatened saying that they would put a ‘red mark' on the TC, which would make it difficult for him to secure admission elsewhere," the parents said.On the night before the results were to be announced, he was found hanging at home. Jisha said that the school authorities had earlier told Thejas not to come to the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the school, which pained him.The statements were recorded at the family's residence and the process lasted for more than two-and-a-half hours. The investigation is currently being handled by Perinthalmanna SHO Sumesh Sudhakaran.Meanwhile, the school authorities dismissed the allegations as baseless and said that the school had not denied TC for the student. The management also said the parents were informed that the TC could be issued after May 2.