Odisha boy died by suicide after school principal took away his mobile: Police

Speaking on the incident, Khordha sub-divisional police officer Dilip Das said last night, the school principal took away his phone as the usage of a mobile device is not allowed in the school hostel premises

Published on: Nov 3, 2023, 14:24:18 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A 10th standard schoolboy was found hanging from a mango tree on the premises of a school in Odisha’s Khordha district on Friday morning, police said.

Police suspect that the boy died by suicide after the school principal took away his mobile phone.

Speaking on the incident, Khordha sub-divisional police officer Dilip Das said last night, the school principal took away his phone as the usage of a mobile device is not allowed in the school hostel premises.

“The school authorities found the boy hanging from a mango tree on Friday morning. We suspect the student may have taken the extreme step after his mobile phone was taken away,” he added.

Das said that a probe into the incident has been launched. “We are looking into all possible angles. The student’s family members have been informed about the incident,” the officer said.

The World Health Organization in 2019 said that children under two should not watch any screens, and under-fives should have no more than an hour of sedentary screen time.

High levels of screen time have been linked to delayed development of children aged between two and five. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics said rising cellphone usage among children led to decreased sleep and distractibility, contributing to poorer academic performance.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More