After the All-India Parents Association and Right to Education (RTE) activists staged a protest near the police headquarters on Tuesday against the suicide of 14-year-old Algin Varghese, the investigating officers confirmed that a probe is going on to ascertain if there was a violation of RTE Act norms in the case.
“The police hasn’t registered a case yet. It is a clear case where the school has troubled Algin, harassed him and that played on his mind and made him commit suicide,” said Parents; Association of India president and RTE activist, Ashok Agarwal. Meanwhile, investigating officers have said that they are probing the case from all possible angles.
Algin, a Class 8 student, was getting free education at Adarsh Public School in Uttam Nagar. His mother was working as a temporary staff at the school. His mother was asked to leave on the promise that Algin could continue studying. Algin’s name was on the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) list. His father alleges that the school asked him to pay the fees or leave.
“He was harassed in school. The Hindi teacher beat him. He was really depressed when he was not allowed into school. The principal told me the school will not allow him to appear for the exams if we did not pay the fees,’’ said Algin’s father, P.K. Varghese.
Adarsh Public School officials while speaking to the media on Tuesday maintained that Algin was not asked to leave. ‘’He has been given free education. He is on the EWS list. Why will we expel him?”, said school principal Usha Saigal. However, Algin’s friends admit that he was often punished at school. And when seven students were suspended from school initially, only Algin wasn’t taken back.
“This is negligence of the police. Had they seized the documents earlier, it wouldn’t give the school a chance to forge documents, which they have now done,” Mr Agarwal said.
Algin was found dead at his Uttam Nagar residence on Saturday. The police had recovered a suicide note which read, “I am sorry for my mistakes”.