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‘Maa, I did not steal’: Humiliated in public for stealing chips, 12-year-old boy ‘dies by suicide’

He was allegedly chased by the shopowner who returned soon, and slapped and asked the boy to do sit-ups in full public view, a police officer said.

The boy said he called out to the owner repeatedly, but left the shop with one packet of chips after receiving no response. (Credit: Pexels)

A 12-year-old boy died by allegedly consuming pesticide on Thursday evening, after he was accused of “stealing” a packet of chips from a store and made to do sit-ups by the shopkeeper at Gosainber area of Panskura in Paschim Medinipur district, a police officer said on Friday.

The boy studied at a local school in the area. Following his death, no formal complaint was lodged. The police, however, took cognisance of the matter and suo moto registered a complaint of unnatural death, initiating an investigation.

According to the police, Shuvankar Dikshit, the owner of a sweet shop in Panskura, claimed that three packets of chips blew out of his shop due to the wind. The boy who happened to be passing by, saw those and picked up the packets.

Dikshit confronted the boy, scolded him and forced him to apologise publicly by holding his ears and squatting as well as was made to pay Rupees 15 for the chips packets.

After learning about the incident, boy’s mother also scolded him and slapped him, the police said. Following this, the boy allegedly consumed the pesticide. He was rushed to the local hospital, but died soon afterwards.

According to his family, the boy also wrote a note where he mentioned, “Ma… I did not steal.”

A senior police officer said, “Dikshit is also local civic volunteer. After the incident, he fled away. We sent the body for postmortem and filed any complaint of unnatural death and started investigation.”

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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