Protest in Coimbatore Over Student’s Suicide After Beef-Eating Disclosure

Coimbatore: Relatives of a 16-year-old student who allegedly died by suicide after facing caste-based discrimination and mental harassment staged a protest outside the Coimbatore District Collectorate on Friday, demanding the arrest of the teacher and headmaster concerned and the cancellation of the school's recognition. The deceased, Akilan, was a Class 11 student at the government-aided KK Naidu Higher Secondary School on Avinashi Road in Coimbatore. He was a resident of the Peelamedu area.

According to allegations, fellow students had been avoiding Akilan at school, while a teacher allegedly subjected him to mental harassment by questioning him about eating beef. A complaint was reportedly submitted to the school headmaster, but no action was allegedly taken.

Akilan died by suicide by hanging on Wednesday. More than 100 members of various political and social organisations, including the DMK, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the May 17 Movement, joined Akilan's parents and relatives in the protest. The protesters raised slogans demanding justice for the student and called for the immediate arrest of the teacher and headmaster, along with the cancellation of the school's recognition. The protesters later marched from the second gate of the District Collectorate to its main entrance and waited to submit a petition directly to District Collector Pavan Kumar Giriyapanavar. The demonstration created a tense atmosphere on the Collectorate premises.

Meanwhile, the school management has suspended class teacher Vijayakumar and headmaster Arunkumar in connection with the incident. Peelamedu Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the student's death. The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has directed the Coimbatore City Police Commissioner to submit a report within one week detailing the action taken in the case.Further investigation is still underway.