12-year-old Surat boy dies by suicide from depression, school reveals past attempt

He further said that before the boy’s parents got separated, the father reportedly used to come back home from work in an inebriated state and pick quarrels. The couple has two children – the boy was the elder child, and they have a younger daughter who has been studying at an ashram school in Tapi district for the last two years. “The boy was quite sensitive and was disturbed by the parental quarrels he experienced,” the officer added.

Talking to The Indian Express, the principal of the school where the boy studied till last month said, “The boy was quiet and an average student. He was not very regular. Once we called up his mother and complained to her. He had earlier tried to die by suicide in school. His class teacher saved him that time. We also counselled him. He, thereafter, became normal and attended school regularly.”

The principal informed that the school reopened after summer vacation on June 6, and the boy came to the classes for the first two days. “His mother then took the Leaving Certificate from our school and told us that she wanted to send her son to the ashram school where his younger sister is also studying. We tried to convince his mother to keep the boy in our school, but she said that she was working in a textile unit and there was no one to take care of the child at home.”

The class teacher said they have rarely seen the boy smile. “We talked to him and found that he was in a state of depression due to his parents’ quarrels. We also told him to mingle with other students in the school and in his neighbourhood. But he did not like making friends with classmates and remained by himself.”