Parents demand arrest of HM over SC student’s suicide
Parents of a 16-year-old Scheduled Caste student who died by suicide are demanding legal action against a school headmistress accused of caste-based harassment. The victim allegedly faced humiliation after her mother displayed a traditional gesture of deference in the headmistress's office.
Why it matters
This case highlights the persistent issue of caste-based discrimination in educational institutions and the severe psychological impact on marginalized students.
The parents of 16-year-old Nishanthi, a Scheduled Caste student who died by suicide on August 25, 2026, called for a legal action against the government school headmistress who was accused of subjecting the teenager and her mother to caste-based humiliation and mental harassment.
According to a formal petition lodged by the victim’s mother, Thavamani, 40, Nishanthi had scored 412 out of 500 marks in her grade 10 board examinations and was aspiring to pursue a career in nursing.
To fulfil her goal of studying the pure science group required for medical-allied courses, she and her mother visited the Government Higher Secondary School near the Usilampatti bus stand to seek admission.
The situation escalated inside the office of the headmistress, Vimaladevi, who belongs to the caste Hindu community, said the petition.
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