Kerala boy fatally jumps off 26th floor; mother alleges school bullying

A 15-year-old Kerala boy died by suicide after allegedly facing bullying from his schoolmates in Kochi’s Thripunithura region. The deceased boy’s mother has demanded justice for her son, whom she said was subjected to brutal humiliation on his last day.

The deceased identified as Mihir Ahammed was a student of Global Public School in Thiruvaniyoor, Ernakulam. He died by suicide by jumping from the 26th floor of his high-rise apartment on January 15.

A distraught Mihir’s mother, Rajna PM, describes her son as a happy, active and loving child.

She released a statement on January 30 revealing chilling details about the humiliation he faced in ways others cannot fathom.

Her investigation revealed that Mihir was subjected to bullying over his skin colour. They came to know that on the day of his death, Mihir was forcibly taken to the school toilet and was made to lick the toilet seat. His head was kept inside the toilet as the bullies flushed it.

“Mihir was subjected to brutal ragging, bullying and physical assault by a gang of students in the school and on the school bus,” the statement read.

Mihir’s mother alleges that their child’s death did not bring a sense of remorse to his bullies as he was humiliated even after his death.

She states in their statement that an Instagram page titled ‘Justice for Mihir’ was created by his friends, shedding light on the incident. But the page is now deleted.

She also alleges that the school management tried to cover up the issue and even intimidate other students including Mihir’s friends to suppress the truth. “I strongly believe they are attempting to cover up the incident to protect the school’s reputation,” read the statement.

Mihir’s mother said she has submitted a petition to the Kerala chief minister’s office (CMO), Child Rights Commission and the DGP’s office, detailing the issue along with the evidence. Mihir’s mother fears that delays in the investigation would lead to the accountability erasing their tracks.