10-year-old girl dies by suicide after teachers accuse her of theft in Muzaffarnagar

A 10-year-old girl who dreamt of becoming a wrestler died by suicide at her home in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday, hours after she was allegedly beaten, publicly humiliated and accused of stealing Rs 10 by her teachers. Police on Wednesday night registered an FIR against two govt school teachers following a complaint by the child’s father. Ayushi, a Class 4 student at Govt Primary School in Pachenda Kalan, Muzaffarnagar district, was known locally for her passion for wrestling. She regularly trained at a local akhara and aspired to pursue the sport seriously. According to the complaint, teacher Savita accused Ayushi of stealing ₹10 from her purse, and telephoned Ayushi’s father, Ashok Rajput, around noon to report the alleged theft. Rajput said that since he was away at work, he requested the teacher to counsel his daughter and send her home. Instead, Savita reported the matter to another teacher, Rajeev, who thrashed the student inside the classroom and humiliated her in front of her classmates. Upon returning home from school, a traumatised Ayushi told her father that she had not stolen the money, but had merely picked up a ₹10 note she found lying under a table. Later that day, she was found hanging in her house. She was rushed to a nearby medical facility, where doctors declared her dead. “My daughter would have been alive today had she not been assaulted and publicly shamed over a false accusation,” Rajput said, demanding strict action against the teachers. Police registered a case against teachers Savita and Rajeev under BNS Section 107 (abetment of suicide of a child). “Statements of witnesses are being recorded, and evidence is being collected,” said DSP (New Mandi) Sunil Kumar. Further legal action will depend on the investigation findings and the post-mortem report, said Kumar. The local education department, too, has initiated an internal probe. “A committee has been formed to probe the incident, and action will follow based on the inquiry report,” basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Sandeep Kumar told TOI.