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. 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.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.According to the complaint lodged by Akilan’s mother, harassments began after the class teacher had asked students about their castes to apply for a scholarship. The complaint also alleged that class teacher Vijayakumar had asked about the students’ food choices, including whether they ate beef. 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 Arun Kumar and Vijayakumar amid mounting pressure from the family and various organisations seeking a thorough investigation and accountability for the harassments.A senior police officer said the investigation was being conducted transparently and that action would be taken based on the evidence gathered. The officer said police could not make arrests without sufficient evidence and would take appropriate action if the investigation warranted it. The Child Welfare Committee has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
