'Forcibly taken to washroom, assaulted': Kerala teen suicide sparks uproar, mother slams cruel memes

KOCHI: The mother of the 14-year-old school student, who allegedly committed suicide in Tripunithura, made another social media post on Sunday in which she shared a video.
The social media post from the profile of Rajna PM, mother of Mihir Ahammed, said, "The minds of those who are spreading such things related to my son's death, with such captions, must be extremely cruel."

The post showed an animated character jumping off a cliff with the caption: "Mihir on his way to jump off the 26th floor after getting called a poopyhead".
Rajna had submitted the complaint to the state police chief alleging that Mihir experienced brutal bullying and ragging at a prominent school in the city. Mihir allegedly jumped off the 26th floor of an apartment complex in Tripunithura on Jan 15.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team (SIT) probing the boy's death collected a detailed statement from the parents on Sunday.
Police said that the parents' statement was taken a couple of times earlier too, but a detailed statement was recorded again in the wake of fresh revelations. An officer said that the information the parents had was not firsthand, and police were trying to find those with direct knowledge of the incidents. "At the same time, we are trying to gather electronic evidence that may substantiate the allegations," said the officer.

A Kerala Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the events leading to the death by suicide of 14-year-old Mihir Ahammed on January 15, allegedly due to severe bullying and ragging at a private school in Kochi.
Mihir’s mother, Rajna PM, lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the state police chief, alleging that her son, a Class 9 student at GEMS Modern Academy since November 2024, was bullied both at school and on the school bus. She claimed he was physically assaulted, forcibly taken to the washroom and subjected to degrading abuse.
According to the complaint, Mihir returned home from school on January 15 at 3.25 pm. Shortly after, he was seen standing near the corridor window of their apartment on the 26th floor in Tripunithura. By 3.50 pm, he had jumped.
On Sunday, SIT officials recorded detailed statements from Mihir’s parents as part of the investigation. The probe also includes reports suggesting Mihir may have faced harassment at his previous school, Global Public School.
Rajna’s brother, Shareef, stated that an analysis of online chats among students indicated Mihir was subjected to ragging at his new school. After Mihir’s death, Rajna reached out to the school principal and shared screenshots of the messages on social media. She alleged that the school was trying to suppress the matter to protect its reputation.
GEMS Modern Academy denied the allegations, asserting that it cannot act based on "presumptions, surmises, and social media posts" without concrete proof. The school reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on bullying and ragging, emphasising that it does not shield any student involved in such misconduct.
On Sunday, the school suspended Vice Principal Binu Azeez to ensure an impartial investigation. Meanwhile, Ernakulam's deputy director of education visited the school on Saturday, and the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights initiated suo motu action, issuing notices to the district police chief, the principal, and other officials.