Kolkata: A Class VI student at a reputable institute in Jodhpur Park, apparently upset over a fight with her friends during lunch break at school, killed herself at her Behala home on Monday evening. Ten-year-old Shrestha Dey left behind a note, bidding farewell to her parents, and mentioning how “betrayed” she felt by her friends.
Even as cops from the Parnasree police station began a probe, Shrestha’s distraught mother Mohua Dey pointed out that parents should not meddle in their children’s fight; Shrestha was apparently not only distraught over the altercation with her friends, but was also intimidated by alleged threats from their guardians of being reported to the principal. The family plans to lodge a complaint against certain guardians. “We want to know if she was pushed to this decision. We realize her friends are kids and lack maturity,” a family member said.
Shrestha, who lived at Pyarabagan near Behala Chowrasta, had been studying at the Jodhpur Park school since nursery and was particularly close to one of the girls she had the fight with. Mohua said her husband—Shyamal Dey, who ran a wholesale stationery business—went to receive Shrestha at the Behala Chowrasta bus stop around 5.30pm on Monday. “As our daughter alighted from her school bus, my husband found her looking sad. When he asked, she said she would tell me once she reached home,” the mother said. “As soon as they stepped into the house, she called out to me from the main gate and said ‘an episode’ had taken place at school. She said she had had an altercation with four of her friends. The girls apparently quarrelled with her and pushed her aside during lunch break as she was not carrying any money.” The inconsolable mother said she had not given Shrestha any pocket money that day as she had packed her dry cakes for tiffin because the girl was not well.
“My daughter said her humiliation continued even after school hours when the guardians of three of the girls threatened to report her to the principal for using foul language. They warned her against repeating her so-called mistake,” Mohua said. “None of them seemed ready to listen to my daughter’s side of the story.”
Shrestha was reportedly so distressed she refused to go out and play. Mohua and her elder daughter, Sharmistha (19), a first-year college student, counselled her that she need not worry as they would explain the situation to the principal. “Shrestha seemed relieved at the assurance. All she asked for was some pocket money to take to school the next day. We said we would discuss it with her father later. Convinced, she told me she would complete her homework before going to sleep,” Mohua said. “I had to run an errand and left home around 8pm. I also asked my elder daughter to meet me at the market.” Shrestha did not seem upset any more and so, the family did not think twice before leaving her alone at home.
Around 8.30pm, Sharmistha called out to Shrestha from downstairs for her scooterette keys. “She took much longer than usual to respond, but once I got the keys, I left. We returned around 9.10pm,” said Sharmistha. As they went upstairs, they found Shrestha hanging from the bedroom fan, using her dupatta. “The family and neighbours took the girl to Vidyasagar hospital in Behala, where she was declared dead,” said DC Meeraz Khalid.
The police said besides the tiffin fight, they would look into other angles as well. “The post-mortem report will be crucial and the girl’s handwriting will be examined,” Khalid said. Neighbours reportedly told cops that a family members of Shrestha, who also lived in the same house, had also committed suicide a few years ago. Besides, Shrestha’s principal Madhabi Nandi Biswas, who visited the family, claimed the girl had threatened to end her life if her friends ostracised her. “All these will be taken into consideration during the probe,” an officer said.