Protests erupt after Delhi Class 10 student's suicide; arrests of teachers sought
In his suicide note, the student alleged prolonged harassment by his teachers at St Columba’s School, prompting renewed calls to address complaints of harassment
A Class 10 student of St Columba’s School in Delhi died after jumping from the Rajendra Place Metro Station on November 18. A suicide note recovered later alleged prolonged harassment by his teachers, leading to widespread protests demanding their arrest.
The Delhi police registered an FIR after a complaint from the boy’s father. The school suspended the headmistress and three teachers named in the complaint, while several others were questioned. Protests and candlelight marches followed, with parents and students alleging deeper systemic failures within schools.
Protests and allegations
Families and friends gathered in Delhi demanding justice for Shourya, saying that none of the teachers he named in his suicide note had been arrested despite the gravity of the accusations. Protesters said children across schools continue to face bullying, discrimination and pressure without meaningful accountability.
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Archana, a family friend, said, “We demand the arrest of the teachers who tortured him and that the Education Ministry set up a committee to conduct a thorough investigation. Suspension is not a solution. He mentioned the names of all four accused, yet none of them have been arrested so far.”
His friend Shivin Arora remembered him as calm and kind. “He didn’t have a single streak of anger… He never showed any signs of distress. Shourya faced injustice, and we want justice for him now.”
Concerns over school practices
Parents of other children at St Columba’s said the incident reflected long-standing issues. They alleged favouritism, inaccessibility of teachers, inadequate counselling support, and repeated episodes of harassment.
Vivek Kumar Singh, a parent, said, “Some teachers show favouritism instead of treating everyone equally. Around 2–3 years ago, my son didn’t get his art book, was hit with a file, and asked to sit on the floor… Counselling is useless here.”
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Many parents at the protest said similar patterns existed in other prominent schools across Delhi.
Voices of past victims' families
Some attendees had themselves lost children to school-related bullying or coercion. One such parent, Aarti Malhotra, whose son died by suicide, said, “In the letter he left, he wrote the school had killed him… These incidents happen because authorities fail to act strictly and timely. These schools are highly networked; ordinary people like us get pushed around.”
Another parent, Kartik Seth, said he was coerced into withdrawing his child from school. “They told me to write a TC request email. They warned me if I didn’t, they would write the TC in such a way that he wouldn’t get admission anywhere else.”
Demand for accountability
Advocate and social activist Ashok Agarwal said the core issue was the violation of children’s dignity. He emphasised that without stronger accountability systems, schools would continue to fail their students.
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The protests have opened wider conversations about systemic gaps in school safety, mental health support, and the urgent need for transparent mechanisms to address complaints of harassment.
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