Delhi student suicide: Kin demand principal's dismissal; Army orders probe, police forms SIT

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Feb 24 (PTI) Family members of the student who allegedly committed suicide at an Army Public School here held a protest on Saturday, demanding the principal to be dismissed, even as the Army ordered an investigation into the incident.

Delhi Police has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident with an ACP-level officer to lead the five-member team, a police official said.

The class 10 student allegedly hanged himself from the ceiling in his house in Shankar Vihar area of southwest Delhi after school authorities refused to give him the admit card for an exam.

In a statement, the Indian Army, Western Command, said: "The school management stays firmly committed to safety and well being of all its students. An in-depth investigation is being carried out on this tragic and unfortunate incident." The Indian Army and the school management at Shankar Vihar "is pained" at the death of the Class 10 student and "stand firm with the bereaved family in this moment of grief", the statement said.

"Army Public School Shankar Vihar is one of the premier Army Public Schools in the country which has created and maintained its reputation for academic and co-curricular excellence over the years," it said.

The student's relatives and other civilians held a protest near Army Public School, Shankar Vihar.

Uncle of the student, Krishna Kumar, said that the victim’s family wanted the authorities to dismiss the principal of the school.

Kumar said the victim’s parents are at their native place in Haryana’s Mahendragarh.

“On Saturday, we held a march from the Army Public School to the residence of the brigadier demanding him to remove the principal from her post and she should be produced before us.

“Several people have joined us in the march. We have lost our child and want that no such situation would occur in future with any student of the school,” Kumar said.

Kumar alleged that the principal “misbehaved” with the victim’s mother when she visited the school for his admit card.

On Friday, the Delhi Police booked the school administration for abetment of suicide.

Police filed an FIR against Army Public School, Shankar Vihar, at the complaint of the student’s father, who alleged that his son was refused the admit card for an exam by the school administration.

In the complaint he gave to Vasant Vihar Police Station on Thursday, the boy’s father alleged that his son was also asked to pay a hefty fine for a chair he broke in the school, an officer said. PTI

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)

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