"He Had Suicidal Thoughts": Delhi Schoolboys On Teen Who Died By Suicide

Shourya Patil, the 16-year-old student of Delhi's St Columba's School who died by suicide this week - he jumped off the platform of a nearby overground metro station - told a school counsellor he had suicidal thoughts, students of the school claimed Thursday.

A group of students gathered outside the school in Delhi's Ashok Place, with posters remembering Patil, said the teen spoke about having been "tortured" for the past six months.

The students said Patil had confessed to feeling tense in the hours leading up to his death, and hit out at several of their teachers for having "body shamed" and "insulted" children at the drop of a hat. One boy spoke about Patil being mocked by a teacher during dance practice.

This was reportedly in the presence of Aparajita Pal, the Headmistress of Classes IV to X).

"If you say anything in class... if you argue... we are told 'you have no manners' and our parents are criticised for not teaching us manners. Our parents are also called," the student said.

There was no comment from the school at the time of filing this report.

According to Shourya's father Pradeep Patil, his son was scolded and "publicly humiliated" on the day he took his life, after he fell during dance rehearsals. The father said that when his son broke down and cried on stage, a teacher sneered, "Cry as much as you want, I don't care."

"After my son's death, the Principal called me and said 'whatever help you need, let us know and we will support you'. I told him I want my son back," Pradip Patil told NDTV.

The father also named a handful of teachers who, he said, had threatened his son.

One name was a Julie Vargis, who allegedly told Shourya she would expel him. Another was a Manu Kalra who pushed the boy, and a third, the dance and drama teacher, was Yukti Mahajan.

None of the three have responded at the time of filing this report.

READ | "Cry As Much As You Want": Teacher To Teen Who Died By Suicide

Shourya Patil left behind a heartbreaking note, in which he spoke to his mother, brother, and father, and apologised repeatedly to all three. "Sorry mummy, aapka itni bar dil toda, ab last bar todunga. School ki teachers ab hai hi aise, kya bolu (Sorry mummy, I broke your heart many times and I am doing it for the last time. This is how the teachers in the school are, what do I say?)"

"Sorry bhaiya, I was rude to you, argued with you, disrespected you."

"Sorry papa, I should have been a good person like you."

"My parents have done a lot. I am sorry I couldn't give them anything," he said.

He also asked for his organs to be donated, if they are in a "condition to work". "If any of my body works or is in condition to work kindly donate it to someone who really needs it," he said.

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