Gurugram teen suicide: Family blames #MeToo accuser; files complaint
What's the story
After a Gurugram teenager recently killed himself, his family has blamed the suicide on a girl who accused him of sexual assault on social media. The 17-year-old boy had jumped off the 11th floor of his building in Gurugram, Haryana, on Monday night. No suicide note has been recovered, however, the family has accused the girl of abetting the suicide. Here are more details.
Complaint
Family accuses girl, Instagram, others, of abetting suicide
In the complaint, the teenager's family stated that the "frivolous, preposterous, and ludicrous" allegations led to his "public shaming and harassment." They demanded a case of abetment of suicide against the girl, Instagram, and those who called the teenager after seeing the social media post and threatened him. The family claimed to be unaware of the age of the girl, who is a minor.
Quote
Police received complaint on Wednesday evening; probe underway
Late Thursday, DCP (East) Chander Mohan told The Indian Express, "On Wednesday evening, the boy's parents submitted a complaint against the girl who posted something regarding a past incident on social media. No FIR has been filed in the matter yet." Mohan added, "We are conducting an inquiry and everything will be verified before any legal action is taken."
Backstory
Boy was accused of sexual assault in Instagram post
Before the suicide, the girl had shared two stories on Instagram detailing an incident of sexual assault from two years ago. Reportedly, both the teenagers were studying in Class X at the time. The girl alleged that the boy groped her and tried forcing her to perform a sexual act on him, however, she ran. She conceded that she did not have any proof.
Online harassment
Boy trolled online after accusations surfaced
After the girl posted the Instagram story late-Monday, her friends started resharing and tagging the boy who was then trolled online. A friend of the boy told The Times of India that he had reached out to them and was "sobbing." Later that night, he killed himself. The family's complaint stated that the harassment "caused immense distress, shame, fear, and unbearable anxieties" to him.
Probe
Boy's phone seized; police looking into chats
An officer told TIE the boy's phone has been seized and sent to the forensics department. The officer said chats found on his phone with his group of friends revealed that he felt stressed. He also asked his friends to keep talking to him, the officer added. The Gurugram Police has now sought help from its Cyber Cell to scan the boys' other gadgets.
Quote
Sad he killed himself; doesn't prove me wrong: Girl
The girl has since deactivated her social media account. She told TOI, "I deactivated my account because of the filth that I was being subjected to after his death. It's sad he took this step. But, that doesn't prove my story wrong."