Kolkata school principal, 3 othersbooked for murder after student’s death

Kolkata Police on Tuesday filed a murder case against the principal, vice-principal and two teachers of a private school in connection with the death of a Class 10 student, an officer said.

Kolkata Police on Tuesday filed a murder case against the principal, vice-principal and two teachers of a private school in connection with the death of a Class 10 student, who allegedly fell from the fifth floor of the institute a day earlier, a police officer said.

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According to the officer, who did not wish to be named, an FIR against the four people was registered on the basis of a complaint by the deceased’s father, who alleged his 16-year-old son was “thrashed” for not completing a project and was also being targeted by the faculty as he had demanded a reduction in the school fees during the Covid-19 pandemic.

HT tried to reach out to school authorities for a comment but did not get one immediately.

The student, the officer cited above said, died after he fell from the fifth floor of the school in Kasba in south Kolkata at around 2.15pm on Monday.

While there was no official statement from the school on the incident till the time of filing this report, the deceased’s family alleged he was “tortured by his teachers for not completing a project”, the officer said.

“The family also said he was being targeted since he had sought a reduction in school fees during the pandemic,” the officer added.

“We have registered an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 120b (criminal conspiracy) of IPC against four people – principal, vice-principal and two teachers – on the basis of a complaint by the victim’s father,” the officer said.

The deceased’s father said: “He was beaten up by school teachers. He was being targeted as during the pandemic, we had demanded a reduction in fees.”