Mother attempts suicide at Bharatinagar school after Class 10 son's suspension

On Monday, a mother attempted suicide at a private school in Bharatinagar, Bengaluru, after the administration suspended her Class 10 son and refused to let him return to classes. The woman, identified as Sumithra, drank insecticide in the school restroom and was rushed to the hospital, leading to a medico-legal case being registered at the Bharathinagar Police Station.

The suspension followed a physical altercation between the Class 10 student and a Class 9 student outside the school campus. According to the woman’s nephew, Arun Kumar, both students were injured in the fight and admitted to a hospital.

Although Sumithra paid the medical expenses for both boys, the hospital contacted the school to report the incident. The school administration then chose to take punitive action solely against the Class 10 student, suspending him.

For over two weeks, the school authorities refused to budge from their decision. They demanded that the family provide a certificate clearing the student of any previous possible criminal record.

Kumar alleged that a police officer from the Bharathinagar Police Station contacted the school authorities on the family's behalf. The officer requested that the boy be allowed back into classes, pointing out that he was a minor with no criminal record.

On Monday, following days of alleged humiliation, Sumithra went to the school carrying insecticide in her bag. When her pleas to reinstate her son were met with indifference, she went to the restroom and consumed the poison.

Her husband, who had accompanied her to the school, found her and rushed her to Bowring Hospital. She was later shifted to a private hospital on Richmond Road, where she is currently admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The school principal was not available for comment regarding the incident.