School director, teacher arrested for student's suicide

The director and a teacher of a private school in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district have been arrested in connection with the alleged suicide of a girl student in the school premises last week.

The girl (15), a Class 10 student, allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of the school in Kharsia town on August 17, a local police official said today.

Based on investigation, the school director, Ashok Agrawal (58), and the student's class teacher, S K Bhanwar (37), were arrested yesterday on charges of abetment of suicide, he said.

The investigation so far has revealed the victim's father, a labourer, had sought some time from the school management for depositing fees after his daughter's admission in June, he said.

The director and the teacher allegedly frequently scolded the student over the delay in fee payment. Apparently upset over it, she took the extreme step, the official added.

The two were booked under IPC sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention), among others.

Conviction for abetment of suicide invites jail term extending up to 10 years.

The duo was produced in a local court which sent them in 14-day judicial remand, the officer added.