Police said they had found a suicide note on Friday in which the teenager allegedly blamed his school and “higher authorities”.
Three days after a 16-year-old student of a private school in Greater Faridabad died by suicide, with his mother alleging he was harassed over his sexuality and that the school ignored her complaint, Faridabad Police on Sunday arrested the headmistress on the charge of abetment of suicide.
Police said they had found a suicide note on Friday in which the teenager allegedly blamed his school and “higher authorities”.
Faridabad Police spokesperson Sube Singh said, “The accused academic head, who was named in the police complaint and the alleged suicide note, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.”
Saying the handwriting in the note would be verified, Singh added, “We will question the school authorities and the students… The family has raised allegations of sexual harassment which will also be probed.”
In her police complaint, the boy’s mother alleged that a year ago, her son had told her about being harassed by some boys in his school over his sexuality.
“I filed several complaints to the school authorities but no action was taken. My son was depressed and his treatment was going on… On Wednesday, he had his science exam and since he suffered from dyslexia.. he sought help from headmistress but she rebuked him and accused him of taking advantage of his condition… and that she would not promote him to the next class. Due to this, he was quite stressed and worried,” she said in the police complaint.
On Friday, the boy’s mother told The Indian Express that in March last year, her son was sexually harassed in the school washroom by some boys. While the principal and other authorities in school have not responded to this specific allegation, the principal had Friday told the media that children “are nurtured”, “not harassed” in the school.
On Saturday, the family, locals and acquaintances had carried out a candle march to the police station demanding immediate arrest of the accused and appealing for justice.
On Sunday, his mother alleged, “Since the incident, he had been having constant panic attacks. He was scared to go to school… Some classmates and seniors had been calling him names… He did not want to attend school when it opened recently, but had to because of his exams. After the teacher scolded him on Wednesday when he sought help, I was also summoned by school authorities and told that they would not promote him.”
