Calcutta High Court directs probe in schoolkid suicide under direct supervision of Police Commissioner

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, directed a probe by Kolkata Police under the direct supervision of Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal in the suicide of a minor student by jumping for the fifth floor of his school on September 4.

The order by a single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta came as it heard a petition filed by the parents of the deceased minor student accusing the officers of Kolkata's Kasba Police Station of a "lackadaisical probe" in the matter.

Justice Sengupta also directed the cops to immediately seize the footage and hard-discs of the CCTV cameras installed in premises of Silver Point School where the tragedy took place.

At the same time, he directed the police to submit the post-mortem report to a medical board composed of doctors from state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital in south Kolkata for the purpose.

Directing that the medical board will examine the report and give its opinion in the matter, Justice Sengupta also directed the police to furnish the parents a copy of the post-mortem report.

The next date of hearing has been scheduled on October 7.

In their petition the parents of the deceased student accused the investigating officials of not releasing the footage of the CCTV cameras installed within the school premises for the day when the tragedy took place. They have also accused the investigating officers of refusing to hand over a copy of the post-mortem report of their deceased son and demanded a second post-mortem examination.

Immediately after the incident on September 4, the parents accused the school authorities of mentally humiliating their son for the last couple of years, since his father was one the guardians who had protested against the school authority’s decision to hike the fee substantially during the Covid-19 period.

On September 7, the school authorities announced its closure for an indefinite period and since then, the school has remained closed. A notice signed by the principal was pasted on the gate of the school on September 7, which said that the school authorities, just like the parents of the deceased student, are equally shocked by the tragic incident.

"We want to assure the parents that Silver Point School gives topmost priority to the safety and security of their children admitted here. However, till further notice, the school remains closed," the notice read.