Punjab school student dies by suicide hours after teacher notifies father of poor marks, family seeks her arrest

While talking to the media, the student’s father, a vegetable vendor, had earlier said that around 3 pm on Monday, he got a call from a teacher who complained about his son’s poor academic performance. The teacher told the father that his son had scored low marks in one subject.

“I spoke to my son over the phone and asked him to work hard in that subject. But after three hours, around 6 pm, I got another call from the school that my son had died by suicide. I demand an inquiry into the case as to what exactly happened in the three hours (between 3 pm and 6 pm) that he took this extreme step,” the father had said.

During the protest on Tuesday, the father said he wanted the teacher who called him the previous day arrested. “She even threatened to strike off the name of my son from school and that they would send him back home. Afterwards, my son took this extreme step. Hence she needs to be booked,” the father said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Lehragaga, Manoj Gorsi, however, said, “So far, the parents haven’t filed any complaint with us. We are repeatedly asking them to file a complaint so that we can start an inquiry as per their statement.”

Sangrur Sub-divisional Magistrate Charanjit Singh Walia said, “We understand the gravity of the problem and fully sympathise with the parents. We have planned to conduct an independent inquiry by forming a committee to find out the reasons behind this suicide. However, at the same time, we appeal to the parents to lift the dharna from outside the school’s main gate and allow the school’s normal functioning.”

Earlier, on Monday, the student, who was enrolled in the commerce stream, was rushed to the civil hospital by the school authorities, where he was declared dead. He was the youngest of three sons, his father said.

Manoj Gorsi had told the media, “Students were appearing for pre-board exams these days. On Monday, there was an exam. However, most of the hostellers had gone home to prepare for exams and his roommates had also gone home. We are investigating the details and the reason behind this suicide.”

SAD senior leader and former Punjab education minister Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema called for a high-level judicial inquiry into the suicide and said all guilty should be punished.

Alleged suicide by a student of Meritorious School Ghabda in Sangrur district is most tragic.

Only few weeks back large number of students from the same school had to be admitted to a hospital due to food poisoning. This shows that all is not well in the school.

A high level… pic.twitter.com/HNaQViEbLG

— Dr Daljit S Cheema (@drcheemasad) January 29, 2024

In a similar incident in 2018, a Class 11 student, aged 17, ended their life in the hostel room of a government meritorious school in the Ghabdan village of the Sangrur district. He was from the Dod village of Faridkot district.