Chhattisgarh: Boy dies by suicide, accuses teacher of harassment
What's the story
A 16-year-old boy allegedly died by suicide after accusing a former teacher of physical harassment in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said on Wednesday. The accused Aradhana Ekka (30) was arrested on Tuesday based on the suicide note posted by the boy on social media before killing himself, station house officer of Torwa Police Station Parivesh Tiwari said.
What happened?
The boy was found hanging in his house
The Class 11 student of a private school was found hanging from the ceiling of his house in the Devrikhurd area on March 18. The boy lived with his mother, who had stepped out of the house, and on return, found her son hanging, he said. "The boy had posted a scheduled message tagging his friends on Telegram and Instagram," Tiwari said.
Police's actions
Boy accused Ekka of physically and mentally harassing him
The message the boy posted on social media was written in English in a coded form. "The police's cyber cell decoded the message and found that the boy had accused Ekka of physically and mentally harassing him, following which she was arrested," Tiwari said. Ekka, a resident of the Sirgitti area, was earlier teaching in the victim's school before moving to a government school.
Charges
Accused teacher has been booked under IPC and POCSO Act
The accused remained in contact with the boy and kept visiting his house and even met him on the day of the suicide, Tiwari said. The accused was booked under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC and Sections 11 (sexual harassment) and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the SHO said, adding that further investigation is underway.
Suicide helpline
If you're having suicidal thoughts, please seek help
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.