Ridiculed for wearing 'Bindi', Jharkhand school student dies by suicide

A distressing incident unfolded at a school in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, as a female student died by suicide after reportedly being thrashed by a teacher for adorning a ‘bindi’ on her forehead.

Reports suggest that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson, Priyank Kanoongo, confirmed the distressing news through a tweet on Tuesday.

The victim, a female student, was allegedly subjected to physical violence for wearing the traditional Hindu mark at her school.

Expressing grave concern over the matter, Kanoongo declared that the NCPCR has taken immediate action by dispatching a team to investigate the incident on-site in Dhanbad.

The unfortunate occurrence took place in the Tetulmari area of Dhanbad on Monday, sending shockwaves throughout the community.

Outraged by the incident, the girl’s parents and locals staged a protest against the school management, urging authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

In response to the uproar, Uttam Mukherjee, Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Dhanbad, assured the public that the accused teacher had been apprehended by the police following the revelation of the incident.

Mukherjee further highlighted that the school in question lacks affiliation with the CBSE board.

The concerned official promptly informed the District Education Officer about the incident and personally met with the victim’s grieving family.

A collection of suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669