'Pushed pen between fingers as punishment': Teen’s death by suicide in Madhya Pradesh sparks probe into alleged classroom abuse

A class 11 student from a private school in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, died in an alleged suicide, with a note alleging harassment by her teacher, police reported on Friday (November 21). According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aarti Singh, the 17-year-old was found hanging at her residence on November 16. A handwritten message was recovered from her notebook during the investigation.

In the note, she accused a teacher of physically mistreating her, saying that he would hit her while gripping her hand and force her to try to open his tightly closed fist. She also alleged that he pushed a pen between her fingers as a form of punishment. The teen further wrote that the teacher would often hold her hand casually while she was seated, remarking about how cold his hand felt. Her family said she behaved normally at home and suspect she was “tortured” at school. They have demanded that authorities examine her call records and probe issues related to the school environment. ASP Singh said that all angles are being investigated to determine what led to the tragedy.

Also Read: Gujarat ricin terror plot: Accused carried out recce in temples of Haridwar, New CCTV footage emerges

A series of student suicides reported this month

This case adds to a worrying rise in student suicides across the country this month. On Tuesday, a class 10 student in Delhi, who dreamt of becoming “the next Shah Rukh Khan”, died after allegedly jumping from Rajendra Place metro station. His note mentioned mental harassment by teachers, expressed remorse to his family, and requested organ donation. In another incident, a 19-year-old college student in Maharashtra’s Thane district died by suicide after reportedly being beaten on a train during an argument about not speaking Marathi. Earlier in the month, a nine-year-old class 4 student in Jaipur died after falling from the fourth floor of her school building. A CBSE inquiry revealed she had endured 18 months of persistent bullying, including verbal abuse, without meaningful intervention from the school.