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Police directs St Xavier’s school to submit records of student who committed suicide
Parents of the teen have filed a report against the physical training instructor at the school.
Police on Thursday asked the authorities of St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Nevta, to submit all records the school has on a class 9 student, who recently committed suicide. SHO of Sodala police station Sunil Sharma said that the school has been instructed to submit his report cards and other documents by 10 am on Friday.
Parents of 14-year-old Nitant Raj Lata on Wednesday filed a report against the physical training instructor (PTI) of St Xavier’s, alleging the boy had committed suicide because of him. A case was registered under section 306 of IPC, Sharma said. The matter is under investigation.
On April 25, the school’s PTI Geo George found Nitant bunking class. His parents then received a call from the school informing them of the incident. They were called to school the next day to meet the principal.
“He seemed worried and dejected that day after coming back from school. I asked him why he was bunking classes. He said there were 10-15 students with him who had bunked as a substitute teacher was taking the class. We went to bed around 12.30, while he was still watching TV,” Nitant’s mother, Priti, said.
The next morning, Nitant was found hanging in his room.
“We got information about it and took necessary steps with regard to an unnatural death. The body was given back to the parents after a post-mortem,” Sunil Sharma, SHO of Sodala police station said.
Nitant’s parents lodged a complaint against the PTI Geo George after they found their son’s suicide note in his room. “Police had locked his room on the day he died. We did not go in until Wednesday. We had been trying to come to terms with the loss of our only child and were busy performing the last rites,” Priti said.
The first page of the suicide note reads, “Thanks Geo (PTI) of my school. Bye!” On the second page, Nitant wrote, “Needed Justice”. “My all things goes to my dear bro Kavin. Even my love. Bye buddy and sorry,” was written on the third page.
Priti said her son had complained about the PTI a few times. “He told us about minor incidents when he had been berated by the PTI for his long hair or improper uniform. We told him that these things keep happening. I don’t know what exactly the PTI told my son that he took such a drastic step,” she said.
PTI George said he doesn’t know why Nitant wrote his name on the suicide note. “I am the PTI for classes 1 to 5. I did not know him personally. Yes, it’s my duty to discipline students and I had told him off for improper uniform a couple of times. But I was just doing my job,” George said.
Recounting the incident of April 25, George said, “I found him sitting alone on the ground. I asked him why he was bunking class, and he said that he is not interested in studies. I found this worrisome and took him to the vice principal, who later ordered for his parents to be called.”
Talking to HT on the matter, vice principal of the school CK Punnoose said, “He was a below average student. He joined our school in Class 7, with a CGPA of 5 points. He passed class 8 with 41% marks. So his family decided to send him for coaching at an institute but he was not made for IIT or PMT. I think the boy might have been stressed because of the pressure the family was putting on the child, which could have been a factor behind him taking such a step.”
Punnoose said he had learnt from Nitant’s classmates that he might have been upset about a girl he had developed feelings for but she was involved with someone else.
Nitant’s father Rajkumar Lata said the decision to enrol him into coaching was taken with his consent. “He had started coaching from March 22 and had skipped a few days or had holidays. He wanted to join the coaching so that it could bring regularity to his study schedule,” he said.
The school has formed an internal enquiry committee to investigate the matter. “We have suspended PTI George till the time the enquiry committee completes its investigation. We will also fully cooperate with the police and the parents in this matter,” the school’s principal Father John Ravi said.
