Mihir's suicide: Kerala Child Rights Commission takes suo motu congnisance of ragging incident

Thiruvananthapuram: The tragic suicide of a 15-year-old boy, driven by severe bullying at his school in Ernakulam, has prompted the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (Kerala Child Rights Commission) to take suo motu cognisance of the incident. The boy, whose death has sparked outrage across the state, was reportedly subjected to relentless ragging and abuse by his classmates before taking his own life on January 15.

The commission's intervention was confirmed by Chairman of the Kerala Child Rights Commission KV Manoj Kumar.

The tragic case unfolded after the boy’s mother, Rajna P M, filed a formal complaint accusing the Global Public School in Thiruvaniyoor of attempting to cover up the bullying her son endured. She alleges that her son was subjected to both physical and verbal abuse, both on the school premises and on the school bus, leading him to take his own life.

In her petition, Rajna claimed that she had informed the school principal about the bullying her son faced, providing evidence of the abuse. However, she alleges that the school authorities did little to address the issue and merely forwarded the complaint to the police while allegedly trying to protect the school’s reputation. 

The police have already launched an inquiry, with the case registered as an unnatural death at Hill Palace Police Station in Thripunithura. A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.

Rajna has also filed complaints with the Kerala Chief Minister's Office and the Director General of Police (DGP), urging swift action. She expressed concerns that digital evidence related to the bullying might be destroyed, as she claims that a social media page created by the boy’s friends to expose the abuse was deleted within days. Rajna is desperate for justice and is calling for all those involved in the bullying, as well as those attempting to suppress the truth, to be held accountable.

The boy jumped off from the 26th floor of their home in Thripunithura, just an hour after returning from school. The details of the bullying, including being forced to lick a toilet seat and having his head shoved into a toilet, were uncovered through his social media messages and conversations with friends and schoolmates.

Shockingly, some of the boy's classmates were reported to have celebrated his death, with disturbing messages exchanged on social media. 

In the wake of the suicide, a group of the boy’s classmates had initiated a "Justice for Mihir" campaign on social media, sharing evidence of the bullying. However, the group was quickly deleted, sparking further concern about the handling of the case and the potential suppression of evidence.