Darjeeling (West Bengal): In a shocking incident, a ninth-grade student took his own life, reportedly due to incessant pressure from his school to sell raffle tickets at Darjeeling in West Bengal on Friday night. Outraged by the situation, the family of the deceased student and local residents staged protests both at the school and the Darjeeling police station. Subsequently, the family filed a formal complaint against the school authorities and the head teacher, leading to the arrest of the head teacher, Gendra Gurung. He will be produced before the court on Saturday.
The victim, identified as Bhignesh Rai, was only 16 years old and a student of the ninth grade at the Public School located in the Rajbari area of Darjeeling Sadar. Bhignesh hailed from a humble background, born into a labourer’s family on Pibi Gurung Road, Pragati Village, Darjeeling. The tragic sequence of events began in mid-August when the school allowed students to sell raffle tickets. Bhignesh diligently made an effort, managing to sell two pages of raffle tickets and collecting Rs 800 in the process.
According to the family of the victim, the school authorities, rather than accepting the collected money and the remaining tickets, allegedly subjected Bhignesh to relentless pressure to sell the remaining two pages of raffle tickets. The young boy was purportedly subjected to daily scolding, humiliation, and even torment in front of his classmates. In a cruel twist of fate, Bhignesh found himself turned away from school on multiple occasions. It is claimed that on Friday, when he failed to sell any tickets, he was publicly humiliated and subsequently sent back home.
Devastated by the persistent pressure and emotional trauma, Bhignesh locked himself in his home. Tragically, his family discovered his lifeless body that night, hanging in his school uniform within the confines of their shower room. The news of this tragedy prompted the Darjeeling Police to respond swiftly. They arrived at the scene, recovered Bhignesh's body, and dispatched it to Darjeeling District Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
In the wake of this incident, the local community and the grieving family were consumed by anger and despair. They initially protested at the school, demanding justice, and later made their way to the Darjeeling Sadar police station, where they filed a formal complaint against the school authorities. It was upon receiving this complaint that the police took action, leading to the arrest of the school's head teacher, Gendra Gurung.
Darpan Rai, the elder brother of the deceased, expressed his anguish, stating, "My brother could not sell the raffle ticket, he was constantly being pressurised. My brother committed suicide due to mental depression. The school authority is responsible for this." Suparna Rai, another teacher from the same school said, "Why should children be allowed to sell tickets? Tickets are being sold by force. This is not acceptable at all."
Darjeeling District Magistrate S. Punnambalam acknowledged the incident, promising that the administration would take appropriate steps. “I have heard of it and I assure you to take appropriate action.” Meanwhile, Prabin Prakash, the Darjeeling police superintendent, assured that the situation was being thoroughly investigated, especially with the arrest of the head teacher.
