Rajasthan: In a distressing incident, a Class 10 Dalit student's alleged suicide has led to the registration of a murder First Information Report (FIR) against two school teachers in Rajasthan's Kotputali-Behror district. The victim, Sachin Kuldeep, was a student at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Paota.
According to the FIR, Sachin's uncle, Satyapal Kuldeep, revealed that Sachin had made a distressing phone call to his father on the night of August 22. In tears, Sachin recounted the persistent casteist slurs and humiliation he endured at the hands of teachers named "Vivek sir and Rajkumar sir" for several days. Despite complaining to the principal and vice-principal, Sachin alleged that the response he received was dismissive and insensitive.
Sachin said he complained to the principal and the vice-principal but the principal said, “Jis jaati ke ho us jaati ke rahoge, ismein galat kya hai (You’ll remain in the caste you belong to. What is wrong in it?)”
Tragically, Sachin was found dead a few hours after the call. His body was discovered hanging in a classroom by cleaning staff the next morning. The family was informed about the incident by the police, not the school authorities.
Sachin's Family Alleges Abuse By Teachers:
Sachin's family alleges that he was mentally and physically tormented by the two teachers, who reportedly threatened him with poor grades and a bleak future. A purported video from the school also features classmates attesting to the abuse Sachin endured. The video states that the teachers not only hurled casteist slurs but also physically assaulted him.
“We reached the school around 10 am and inquired about Sachin with the principal and the vice-principal but they didn’t give a satisfactory response. It was only an hour after we reached that we were informed by the school staff that Sachin was ‘unwell’ and had been admitted to Paota hospital,” Satyapal said.
An FIR was lodged against the two teachers under IPC sections 302 (murder), 34 (common intention), and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The family also claims that the circumstances surrounding his suicide are suspicious as his legs were touching the floor and were, in fact, so low that “they were bent at an angle of about 30 degrees.”
The tragic incident has ignited outrage, highlighting the need for awareness and action against caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.
