The parents of the deceased boy
COIMBATORE: Two students have been sent to an observation home for 15 days in connection with the suicide of Akilan, a 16-year-old Class XI student who allegedly faced caste-based harassments at a govt-aided school in Peelamedu here.
Akilan’s father said the family would not receive his son’s body until those responsible for the alleged harassment were arrested. The family has been demanding accountability over the alleged caste-based discrimination and the school authorities’ response to the complaints. After this, two classmates allegedly subjected Akilan to caste-based taunts and harassments. The family alleged that Vijayakumar and headmaster Arun Kumar had failed to act despite the student raising the issue.
The school management suspended the headmaster and the deceased boy’s class teacher on Friday. Akilan’s parents, relatives and members of various progressive organisations held a protest outside the Coimbatore district collectorate on Friday, demanding action against the school staffers allegedly responsible for his death.
The school management suspended Arun Kumar and Vijayakumar amid mounting pressure from the family and various organisations seeking a thorough investigation and accountability for the harassments.