Unable to pay fees, schoolboy ends life

Activists and relatives accuse headmistress of pushing him to the brink

A 17-year-old student of R.C. Higher Secondary School at Moonjikkal near here committed suicide by hanging himself on Wednesday as he could not pay a portion of the fees.

Relatives of the boy, P. Rajeshwaran, and volunteers from various rights organisations on Thursday refused to accept the body demanding suspension of school headmistress as her verbal abuse, they alleged, had pushed him to commit suicide.

Kodaikanal police have registered a case under Section 174 (suicide) of the Cr. PC.

Meanwhile, Chief Educational Officer K. Subhashini made enquiries with the headmistress. The police and revenue officials too conducted an inquiry in this connection.

Rajeshwaran’s mother P. Saroja, a destitute widow working in a hotel in the town, alleged that her son was humiliated because he could not pay the total fees. School authorities said that the headmistress merely asked the boy to bring his mother to school.

A five-member fact-finding team after enquiry, said headmistress Mangaiyarkarasi reportedly abused the boy in front of other students asking him to leave the school and bring his mother to school.