St Columba student suicide: HC tells Delhi Police to file status report

In the petition, the father said, “The transfer of investigation is being sought because the local police appear to be acting under influence and pressure.”

 The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice in a petition filed by the father of the St Columba’s School student who died by suicide and blamed his teachers for his death, seeking a transfer of the probe from Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accusing police of acting under “influence and pressure”.

The court fixed March 12 as the next date of hearing (HT photo)

A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna asked the Delhi Police to file a status report regarding the action taken and fixed March 12 as the next date of hearing. It also asked the CBI for its response.

In the petition, the father said, “The transfer of investigation is being sought because the local police appear to be acting under influence and pressure.”

Represented by advocate Pritish Sabharwal, the father alleged that when he, along with his wife, approached the police station to register the first information report (FIR), the police personnel took nearly four hours and even attempted to dictate its contents, instructing him not to mention the school’s name. It went on to add that the police personnel, till now, had not taken coercive action against the school authorities or the teachers specifically named in the suicide note.

In the petition, also argued by advocates Shweta Singh, Mehvish Khan and Shiv Chopra, he further contended that the police recorded the parents’ statements only after the petition was filed and further flagged that the investigation officer assigned to the case was a male, even though the accused were female teachers.

“The FIR, though, has been registered, but to date, the investigating agency seems to be biased to the extent that it is protecting the accused persons even when they have been named in the suicide note,” the petition added.

The Delhi Police, represented by standing counsel Sanjay Lau, opposed the transfer, asserting that the police had registered the FIR, a day after the incident, and the investigation was going on. He added that if the father was not satisfied with the probe, the matter could also be transferred to the crime branch. “CBI is overburdened,” Lau added.

The father has also sought the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to fairly probe and investigate the case, asserting that his son, in his suicide note as his last wish, had clearly sought to take action against the teachers, and the transfer becomes necessary to honour the last words.

The 48-year-old trader from Karol Bagh had earlier told HT that he was unhappy with the ongoing police investigation. “We are unhappy with the investigation by the police station staff and the Metro unit which is dealing with the case. I personally met all the senior police officers also but they are not doing enough.”

The incident occurred on November 18, when the Class 11 student jumped from the elevated Metro station after leaving behind a handwritten note in his school bag. In the note, he accused three teachers and the headmistress of repeatedly humiliating him. The teachers were booked for abetment to suicide and suspended by the school after the incident came to light.

During their investigation, police said they had recovered CCTV footage from the school, which, they said, corroborated parts of the allegations.