According to media reports, Amaira, a 9-year-old girl who committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of Neerja Modi’s school in Jaipur, was bullied, the parents of the slain child have alleged, who also blamed the teacher for evading their complaints.
The family has reportedly filed a first information report (FIR) against the school administration, alleging that her death was under suspicious circumstances, and demanded an inquiry into the involvement of teachers. According to an NDTV reports, the parents alleged that the bullying included verbal abuse and comments with “sexual overtones.”
This comes after a five-member committee of Rajasthan’s education department was set up to submit its report on the November 1 girl’s death next week. Chilling CCTV footage without sound shows her clambering over railings moments before her fatal fall.
According to an India today in the report, the girl’s mother, Shivani Meena, said they told the teacher about the bullying; however, no action was taken. “I’ve spoken to the head teacher, I’ve spoken to the head teacher not once, but several times over the last year, but they’ve either brushed me off or ignored me,” NDTV quotes the girl’s mother.
Her husband, Vijay Meena, recounted an incident during a parent-teacher meeting (PTM) when, he said, a group of children pointed at Amaira and another boy. Feeling awkward, Amaira hid behind Vijay. He then raised the issue at a parent-teacher conference. He recalled: “The teacher told me that it was a student school and Amaira had to learn to talk to all the children, even the boys. I told the teacher that ‘it’s my daughter’s choice if she doesn’t want to talk to boys.’
“They charge significant fees, but where is the responsibility”
The NDTV The report said Amairah’s uncle, Sahil, sought “answers from the school”, asking “with over 5,000 children and a six-storey building, how did they get permission to build extra floors without any grating or netting for safety?” This is the most elementary. How can you have open floors with so many kids? Why is there no audio in CCTV cameras which should be there as per CBSE guidelines? In fact, 15 days of video surveillance should be available. It is a prestigious school in Jaipur. They charge a lot, but where is the responsibility?’
“We have spoken to her teachers, classmates and other school staff. At first glance, she did not want to attend school on the day of the incident. However, the fact will be ascertained after we speak to her parents,” said Ramnivas Sharma, Jaipur Education Officer, Hindustan Times informed.
Sharma said investigators found that some classmates had used “bad words” against the girl. He added: “We are looking into whether she was depressed about it or whether she was also having problems at home.”
Meanwhile, Jaipur Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajarshi Raj Verma said NDTV that the police have recorded the parents’ statements and are investigating all the details. He claimed: “We record and check everything. The parents were in a state of shock and could not speak, but now, regardless of their problems, we will record them, check and investigate.”
