On Monday (July 10), a student of Std 10 committed suicide after she was slapped, humiliated and expelled from St. Xavier’s School for sporting a bindi. The incident took place in the Teltulmari neighbourhood in the Dhanbad city of Jharkhand.

The 17-year-old reportedly went to the convent school, wearing a bindi on her forehead. Identified as Usha Kumari, she was humiliated by a teacher during the school assembly. She was also slapped twice in full public display.

This was even though the student removed the bindi as soon as she saw the teacher. The underage girl was taken to the principal’s office, who expelled her from the school.

Jharkhand | A class 10 student died by suicide allegedly after being slapped by a teacher for coming to school with a ‘bindi’ on her forehead

We received information that a student has died by suicide. A suicide note has been recovered in which she alleged that she was tortured… pic.twitter.com/i5du989GKT

-ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

Thereafter, the girl returned home and committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her room on Monday (July 10) at 11 am. She also left a suicide note in her school uniform, holding the teacher and school principal responsible for her death.

A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at the Tetulmari Police Station based on the complaint of the family members. The accused teacher was arrested by the police and a probe was initiated into the matter.

While speaking about the matter, DSP (Baghmara) Nishra Murmu said, “A class 10 student of St Xavier’s School in Tetulmari committed suicide on Monday leaving a suicide note in which she has held the principal and teacher responsible for her death.”

Villagers block road, protest outside St. Xavier’s school On Tuesday (July 11), the villagers and the family members of the deceased girl blocked a road and also protested outside the gate of St. Xavier’s School.

The victim’s mother said, “My daughter removed the bindi as soon as she saw the teacher. But the teacher slapped her twice in front of the assembly. I explained everything to the principal, but he did not listen and expelled my daughter.”

“Embarrassed by being slapped by the teacher in public during assembly, my daughter committed suicide after returning from school by hanging from the ceiling in her room,” she added.

“I want justice and want everyone, who is named in the suicide note, to get arrested” the victim’s mother reiterated. The teacher defended the decision to slap the student and claimed that the 17-year-old did not respond ‘politely.’

NCPCR takes cognisance of the matter

While taking cognisance of the matter, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said, “In Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, a girl student has been reported to have committed suicide after being thrashed for going to school wearing a bindi.”

झारखंड के धनबाद में स्कूल में बिंदी लगाकर जाने पर पिटाई किए जाने से आहत हो कर एक छात्रा के आत्महत्या किए जाने की सूचना मिली है। मामले का संज्ञान लिया जा रहा है, जाँच के लिए @NCPCR_ की टीम धनबाद जाएगी।

-प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) July 11, 2023

He added, “The cognisance of the matter is being taken, the team of @NCPCR_ will go to Dhanbad for investigation.”