Was an adult involved? Mihir Ahammed's mother challenges school statement

Kochi: The mother of Mihir Ahammed, a 15-year-old student who died by suicide on January 15, has strongly refuted the statement issued by Global Public School (GPS) International regarding the circumstances surrounding her son’s death. In a detailed response, Rajna PM  accused the school of distorting facts and attempting to shift blame instead of addressing serious concerns about bullying and ragging on campus.

Mother rejects school’s “second chance” narrative

One of the key points in the school’s statement suggested that Mihir was given admission as a “second chance” after leaving GEMS Modern Academy. Rajna called this claim misleading, asserting that Mihir was neither expelled nor forced to leave his previous school.

“GEMS school wanted us to continue his education there. However we took the difficult decision to apply for a transfer certificate and enroll him in GPS International,” she stated, adding that it was GPS that ultimately gave Mihir “the last chance – not the second chance.”

Bullying complaints were filed, contrary to school’s claims

The school’s letter to parents implied that no complaints had been raised regarding Mihir’s alleged bullying prior to his death. However, Rajna countered this, stating that she had lodged a formal written complaint with the school authorities on January 23, highlighting evidence of ragging and online harassment.

“The school's claim of knowing ragging incident only through social media is completely untrue. In fact, several other students had reported the same gang of bullies to the school authorities just a week before Mihir's death,” she said. “Had the school taken timely action, my son's life could have been saved.”

Accusations of cover-up

Rajna further alleged that one of the students accused of bullying Mihir was an adult, contrary to the school’s claim that all those involved were minors.

“This fact has been deliberately hidden by the school to mislead the public and downplay the severity of the situation. The involvement of an adult makes this even more serious, and the school's silence on this matter raises significant concerns about their internal investigation,” she stated

The school also claimed Mihir was involved in a fight on Jan. 14, a day before his death. Rajna refuted this assertion, stating that Mihir was merely a witness to the incident, which had already been confirmed by his class teacher, three friends, and even the principal.

“Instead of sympathizing with Mihir, the school authorities threatened him that they would not let him sit for exams,” she said. “Rather than protecting a child who witnessed a traumatic event, the school placed blame and fear on him-a tragic failure of the very institution responsible for nurturing and safeguarding him.”

Earlier, the school maintained that there was no evidence to suggest Mihir had been bullied. They stated that neither his classmates nor teachers had reported any such incidents before his death.

The school also noted that the names mentioned in Rajna’s social media post were not enough to take disciplinary action without supporting evidence. The school stated that simply being named in the post is not sufficient grounds to take action against the students involved. The school also added that they are cooperating fully with the authorities.

However, the investigation remains ongoing, and police are yet to receive all necessary documentation from the school, including No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required for its operation.

Shocking details of bullying 

Rajna’s complaint painted a disturbing picture of the bullying Mihir allegedly endured. She claimed her son was subjected to extreme humiliation, including being taken to a school washroom and forced to lick a toilet seat while having his head shoved into it as it was flushed.

His tormentors allegedly targeted him for his skin colour and appearance, verbally abusing him and beating him regularly. Even after his death, the cruelty persisted, with a leaked chat message from a student reading, “Fxxk nigga, he actually died.”

She also raised concerns that digital evidence related to Mihir’s bullying may be destroyed due to delays in the investigation, alleging that an Instagram page created by Mihir’s friends to expose the bullying was deleted under pressure.

With an FIR registered at Hill Palace Police Station and appeals made to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office, the case has now drawn significant public attention. 

“Let Mihir’s story be a turning point for how schools address bullying and support their students,” Rajna said. “Empathy should be lesson number one.”