Mihir suicide case: Statements of parents, school authorities recorded in teen’s death probe

Kochi:  The investigation into the suicide of Mihir, a Class 9 student who jumped from the 26th floor of his flat, is intensifying.  S Shanavas, Director of General Education, is taking statements from Mihir's parents and Global School authorities at the Kakkanad Collectorate.  Statements will also be gathered from officials at GEMS School, where Mihir was previously a student.

The Hill Palace Police, leading the investigation, took statements from Mihir's parents and summoned the GEMS School Vice Principal following a complaint by Mihir's mother.  She alleged that Mihir experienced mental harassment from the Vice Principal at his previous school. The GEMS School Vice Principal has been suspended pending the investigation.   

Social media clues

Police have taken statements from school staff and Mihir's classmates and are examining chats from an Instagram group, ‘Justice for Mihir,’ which appeared after his death.  Mihir's mother's complaint included screenshots of conversations from this group, suggesting potential reasons behind his suicide. The family claims the page was created by some of Mihir's friends. The Instagram page has since been deleted, but police are attempting to recover the chats, having contacted Instagram for assistance.  They reportedly have leads on who started the group.   

Mihir's mother submitted a detailed complaint to the Chief Minister and the DGP, outlining the alleged bullying her son faced at school and from classmates. This complaint included digital evidence of online conversations among his classmates.