St Columba's School student suicide: Headmistress among four suspended

New Delhi: Four staff members, including the headmistress of St Columba's School, have been suspended after an FIR was registered against them in connection with the alleged suicide of a class 10 student who had accused them of mental harassment.

According to the suspension order, the headmistress (Classes IV–X), the coordinator for Classes 9 and 10, and two teachers have been placed under temporary suspension while the matter is being examined.

A senior Delhi Education Department official said a committee has been formed to probe the allegations and review the school's handling of the case.

The student's father told PTI that the suspension was "only temporary" and demanded the arrest of the teachers named in the FIR.  "We need to send a message that no teacher should treat our children like that," he said.

The class 10 student, who had reportedly dreamt of becoming "the next Shah Rukh Khan", died on Tuesday after he allegedly jumped from the Rajendra Place Metro Station around 2.34 pm.  He was taken to BLK Super Speciality Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said.

A senior police officer said the boy left a suicide note naming a few teachers, alleging mental harassment, apologising to his family, and requesting that his organs be donated.

The FIR, registered at the Rajendra Nagar police station, includes charges related to abetment of suicide. Police are recording statements of classmates, teachers and school authorities as part of the investigation.