'Classmates used bad words': Jaipur Class 4 girl bullied for 18 months before suicide, school ignored pleas

 

A nine-year-old Class 4 student at Jaipur’s Neerja Modi School, who died by suicide earlier this month, had endured 18 months of persistent bullying in her classroom while teachers repeatedly dismissed her pleas for help, a probe by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has found. The child jumped from the school’s fourth floor, and her parents had alleged sustained bullying and inaction by the school.

According to the CBSE inquiry, the student approached her class teacher for support “for nearly 18 months,” but her concerns were brushed aside each time with instructions to “adjust” with classmates. Even on the day she died, the child reportedly sought help repeatedly. The report states she “approached the teacher five times and pleaded continuously in the last 45 minutes for support but was not offered any help.”

Class teacher Puneeta Sharma admitted that the student had informed her about a classmate using “bad words,” the report notes.

Repeated complaints, no intervention

The probe outlines several incidents of bullying. In October, a boy misquoted the student as having said “I love you” to him — she had only said “hello” — and spread it among classmates. The child returned home in tears. When her father complained, the teacher insisted she “needs to adjust with other kids.”

In May 2024, her mother reported that another student had shown the child the middle finger, but the message went unanswered. In July 2024, the mother sent an audio recording of the child crying and begging not to attend school. “Mumma, I don't want to go to school. Everyone troubles me... Please get me out of here. Get me admitted to another school,” she said. No action followed, the report states.

Another message in July alleging that the child had been hit by a boy also received either no response or a delayed one. The parents raised concerns more than three times with teachers and class coordinators but “received no meaningful support,” the probe notes. Their attempt to transfer her to another school in March 2025 was unsuccessful.

Events on the day of the suicide

On November 1, the child became visibly distressed after a digital slate was circulated among classmates with something written or created on it. She pleaded for it to be erased after it was shown around. Although the probe could not confirm what was written, it stated that the teasing “clearly upset” her and required immediate intervention.

The report reiterates that despite multiple requests for help, “Puneeta Ma’am dismissed the problem” and was “seen shouting multiple times” and saying things that “shocked the entire class.”

The CBSE committee also flagged tampering of evidence, noting that the area where the child fell had been washed before forensic examination, compromising potential evidence.

The board has issued a notice to the school manager over “gross violations” and has sought a response within 30 days.

(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines are also avilable: Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com TISS iCall 022-25521111 Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm) 

(With inputs from Dev Ankur Wadhawan)