A local court held on Friday that the principal and three teachers of Kolkata’s prestigious La Martiniere for Boys school should be tried for abetting the suicide of 13-year-old student Rouvanjit Rawla.
It directed police to register a fresh case against the four under IPC sections 305 (abetment to suicide), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention). The trial would begin before a sessions judge on December 14.
The 12th metropolitan magistrate at Bankshall Court said principal Sunirmal Chakravarthi’s caning caused “grievous injury” to Rouvanjit, a class-VII student, and drove him to suicide.
La Martiniere for Boys counsels said they would challenge the decision in the high court.
Rouvanjit was found hanging in his room on February 12, four days after being allegedly caned by the principal for disobedience. Four months later in June, his father Ajay Rawla lodged a police complaint against the principal and three teachers, accusing them of subjecting Rouvanjit to sustained mental and physical torture.
Chakravarthi admitted to punishing the boy for bringing “stink bombs” to school, but said he was not aware caning was illegal.
Police arrested the principal and teachers Garnian, Partho Dutta and David Raun on October 4 under section 305 but mentioned sections 323 and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (punishment without grave provocation) and 23 (negligence of duty) of Juvenile Justice Act in the charge sheet. As a result, the accused were granted bail almost immediately.
The lower court did not cancel the bail but ordered registration of a fresh case. Ajay Rawla said, “I have lost my son, but I do not want the same tragedy to befall on another family.” (With PTI inputs)
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