A class IX student, apparently humiliated after being accused of stealing a school certificate, committed suicide by jumping in front of a train near Mahim on Monday.
Dipesh Teke, 16, was knocked down by a Dahanu-Dadar local on Monday evening and he was identified by the railway police from the school identity card in his bag.
"We checked the bag he was carrying and found books and an identity card, which helped us to contact the family," said Rajendra Trivedi, senior inspector, Mumbai Central railway police. It was only after talking to the boy's father that they realized there was more to it than an accident.
The boy, who lived in Dharavi, was attending extra classes at Saraswati Vidya Mandir, in Mahim (West), for students going to class X. The results of the class IX exam are expected on Saturday.
"We called Dipesh's father, Kishore, who told us that the boy had called his mother a few minutes before the incident and told her that he was going to commit suicide," Trivedi said. The boy is the second of four siblings.
When contacted over the phone, the father said, a teacher had accused the boy of stealing a certificate. "She called us to school and told us that our son had stolen a certificate. She asked us to accept this in writing. I asked my son whether he knew anything about this, but he denied it. So, I told the teacher that I would not write anything as my son was innocent. To this, the teacher said that the boy would not be given a character certificate," Teke said.
Teke explained that his son was very upset by the incident. The father returned home. A little while later the boy called his mother saying, 'They harassed me a lot. Don't try to find me as I am not going to come back. I am committing suicide,' and cut the call.
Trivedi said the railway police have registered a case of accidental death and suggested to the family to take the matter to the Mahim police.
Teke said he would lodge a complaint against the teacher. In that case the police could register the matter under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for abetment of suicide.
Neither the teacher nor the school authorities could be contacted for a comment on the matter.
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