9-Year-Old Jaipur Student's Suicide: CBSE Investigation Reveals 18 Months of Bullying and School Negligence

The nine-year-old student died by suicide on November 1 at a prestigious Jaipur school.

A Class 4 student who took her own life at a prominent Jaipur school had approached her teacher five times seeking assistance regarding bullying incidents over a 45-minute period but received no support.

Rather than helping the distressed nine-year-old, the teacher reportedly shouted at her multiple times and made remarks that 'shocked the entire class'. The child, who had endured harassment for 18 months, felt isolated and desperate. She eventually left her ground floor classroom, climbed to the fourth floor of the school building, and jumped, dying instantly.

These findings come from a two-member Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) investigation team examining the suicide of Amaira Kumar Meena on November 1 at Neerja Modi School. Her parents have alleged she was subjected to bullying, teasing, and verbal abuse with "sexual connotations," with their repeated complaints being ignored by school authorities.

The CBSE report confirms Amaira had been bullied for 18 months and was subjected to "bad words," while class teacher Puneeta Sharma consistently dismissed complaints from both the child and her parents.

According to the investigation, CCTV footage showed Amaira "engaging in positive conversations, dancing and eating chocolate and golgappa, appearing happy and laughing before 11 am" on the day of her death. However, her demeanor changed dramatically after 11 am when she appeared distressed over content displayed on a digital slate by a group of boys.

The footage revealed Amaira's reaction as "puzzled and surprised," showing visible embarrassment. She was seen asking classmates to remove whatever was written on the slate and attempted to write something herself. The CBSE noted that "the teacher's intervention was very much needed" during this situation.

The report emphasizes that "instead of supporting her, Puneeta ma'am dismissed the problem. She was seen shouting multiple times and said things that 'shocked the entire class'. Amaira felt concerned and harassed by few classmates and no support or intervention by teachers." The girl skipped lunch that day.

Investigators observed that "it seems something unusual happened in class and she is looking extremely disturbed," noting "few hot discussions, among students" possibly related to "bad words and some derogatory comments" based on parent observations and video evidence.

The report also highlighted that school authorities washed the area where Amaira fell, compromising potential forensic analysis.

The investigation documented multiple previous bullying incidents over 18 months. In September, Amaira's father had approached her teacher after she was bullied by a boy, but was told the student "needs to adjust with other kids." In October, the same boy allegedly misrepresented Amaira's greeting as an inappropriate statement in public.

Earlier incidents included a May 2023 complaint when a child showed Amaira an obscene gesture, and a July 2023 incident where she was reportedly hit by another student. Following these events, Amaira had told her mother, "I don't want to go to school. Everybody troubles me. Please get me out of here. Get me admitted to another school," according to an audio recording provided to investigators.

The CBSE report states that while Amaira's class teacher acknowledged the girl had complained about classmates using "bad words," adequate action was never taken. "It appears that the school failed to maintain healthy atmosphere and there was no specific and required measures to tackle such incidents of bullying," the report concluded.

"As per the statements of the parents given to the committee, it is clear that the school did not take any preventive and proactive action on the repeated complaint of bullying and teasing by the classmates," it added, noting that both teacher Sharma and school management were aware of the harassment but took no action.

The report attributed Amaira's death to "teacher's non-response, lack of hearing and absence of empathy/sensitivity to problems," suggesting that proper intervention "could not have reach to this magnitude."

The investigation revealed significant safety lapses at the school, including inadequate monitoring of student movements, absence of floor attendants, lack of CCTV monitoring, and missing safety nets on higher floors. Students were not wearing identification cards, which delayed establishing Amaira's identity to notify her parents.

According to teachers, classmates, and parents, Amaira was a "bright, friendly, cheerful student and an All-Rounder winner" at the school.

The CBSE has requested an explanation from the school within 30 days regarding these violations, including potential breaches of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.