‘I would have been in jail if…’: Actress Manju Pathrose shares emotional note on Shahbaz’s death

Actress Manju Pathrose has expressed her grief over the tragic death of Mohammed Shahbaz, a 15-year-old student from Thamarassery, in a heartfelt note on social media.

In a Facebook post, Manju, a mother herself, shared her anguish over the incident, drawing parallels to her own deep bond with her son.

She wrote, “I am the mother of an 18-year-old son… I have raised him watching every little change, wondering if his hands are growing, if his legs are growing. My life revolves around him. I am still not surprised when I think of the day he stood crying in front of his LKG classroom. Because he is my life, my everything. If even one of his tiny fingers gets hurt, I lose sleep. If his voice trembles, I keep calling until I know what’s wrong. I won’t be at peace until he assures me everything is fine.

Even if I speak about myself, there are countless fathers and mothers like me. And it is to such a mother and father that their beloved son was lost… No, not lost—snatched away, by those whom he considered his friends, the very ones he should have been able to trust. And now, there are people defending them, arguing on their behalf, saying they should be allowed to write exams.

Can any father or mother ever forgive such an act? Even we, who have never met that child, cannot bear this pain after seeing his face. Instead of ensuring exemplary punishment, what is happening here? No matter whose privileged sons they may be, they will not escape the consequences of what they have done.

Didn't you laugh and say, ‘Go and look at his eyes, he has no eyes’? If you had done this to my son… today, I would have been in jail. You don’t even need me to explain why.”

Shahbaz’s death following a school rivalry has sparked outrage across Kerala. The teenager suffered severe head injuries, including a fractured skull and internal bleeding, after a minor dispute turned violent during a farewell programme.