Two Families Share Their Stories After Children's Suicides: School Negligence and Harassment Exposed

Shourya Patil's father Pradeep Patil (left), and Amaiyra's parents Shivani and Vijay Meena

New Delhi:

The father of a Class 10 student who died by suicide in Delhi revealed to NDTV that they had planned to change schools after his son completed Class 10, a prospect the boy was eagerly anticipating.

In another tragic case from Jaipur, Rajasthan, the parents of nine-year-old Amaiyra, a Class 4 student who also died by suicide, claimed the school failed to address bullying, teasing, and verbal abuse with "sexual connotations" despite their numerous complaints.

Shivani Meena, Amaiyra's mother, told NDTV that 19 days had passed since the incident, yet they had received nothing from the school—not even a condolence message.

In the Delhi case, 16-year-old Shourya Patil left a suicide note identifying specific teachers he blamed for his mental distress and requesting action against them. He also expressed his wish to donate his organs.

"The teacher would complain that he was very naughty and mimicked teachers. I explained that he's just a boy and children his age tend to behave this way, which we would address," Shourya's father Pradeep Patil explained to NDTV.

"Despite this, the teachers continued tormenting him. Three days before the incident, a teacher threatened to call us and have him removed from school. It's unthinkable to tell a student he would be expelled just 10 days before pre-board examinations," Pradeep Patil stated.

He mentioned meeting with the school coordinator three months prior to express that while he wasn't concerned about his son's scores, he wanted the school to prepare him properly.

"My son had been at this school since Class 2. He often told me teachers harassed him. With pre-boards approaching in just 10 days—we had even enjoyed ice cream recently—I assured him to wait a little longer before we would transfer him to another school. The thought made him happy," the grieving father shared.

"The harassment became so severe that he informed his teachers about having suicidal thoughts. The school should have alerted us but said nothing. We only discovered this after meeting students protesting outside the school in my son's memory," added Pradeep Patil.

Regarding the Rajasthan case, Shivani Meena told NDTV that not a single teacher, principal, or even parent had visited them following their daughter's death.

Her husband Vijay Meena said they had trusted the school as the safest place for their daughter and criticized the institution for spreading falsehoods to protect themselves.

"We recently discovered the school has multiple unauthorized floors violating building regulations. They told media my daughter complained about harassment only once, but CCTV footage shows she approached teachers at least five times to report the bullying," Vijay Meena revealed.

He added that they have since uncovered numerous problems at the school, ranging from infrastructure deficiencies to administrative failures.

Pradeep Patil vowed to fulfill his son's final wish for justice.

"When the principal called saying 'we are with you,' I asked, 'can you bring my son back?' I know my son won't return. Yet here I am, speaking to you just a day after the funeral. I will remain strong to pursue justice," Shourya's father told NDTV.

Amaiyra's mother, Shivani Meena, noted that her daughter was too young to consider writing a final letter.

"In her last two days, Amaiyra approached her teachers nine times to report bullying. She was a wonderful child, always happy. We simply want prompt action. Already 20 days have passed, and justice delayed is justice denied," concluded Shivani Meena.