Alappuzha: The family of a class 7 student, who committed suicide in Kattoor near Alappuzha a few days ago, has approached the authorities accusing his school teachers of abetting the suicide.
Prajith Manoj, a class 7 student, was found hanging in his residence at Kattoor near Alappuzha on the evening of February 15. The grieving parents have now levelled serious allegations against the teachers of Holy Family Visitation Public School, Kattoor.
Along with a police complaint at Mannancherry police station, the victim’s parents have taken their plea to the Chief Minister, the State Police Chief, and the Child Rights Commission. They claimed that their son took the extreme step after facing physical and mental harassment from his teachers.
According to Manoj A P, the victim’s father, fellow students have revealed that on the fateful day, Prajith returned home distressed after being repeatedly beaten for a mistake he did not commit.
“Prajith took the extreme step straight away on reaching home, without even changing his school uniform. We want to know if the teachers assaulted him physically," said Manoj, seeking justice for his son.
The incident that allegedly triggered the harassment occurred during a break between class periods. Prajith, along with a sick friend, left the classroom to fetch drinking water. Despite his fellow students explaining the situation to the teacher who entered the class, she reportedly ignored their reasoning and reported to the school authorities that two of her students had gone missing from the classroom.
By the time the school authorities launched a search and made public announcements on the campus, the students had returned to their classroom. Instead of understanding the situation, the teacher allegedly subjected Prajith and his friend to mental harassment and physical assault, accusing them of being involved in a drug chain.
According to Manoj, several of Prajith's classmates have also reported hearing the loud sounds of teachers physically assaulting the young boy. Based on the complaint, the local police will collect statements from the school authorities.
