La Martiniere Principal to be tried for abetment to suicide

A court here on Friday directed the police to initiate fresh charges against the Principal of a reputed school and three teachers under Section 305 of the Indian Penal Code that pertains to abetment to suicide in respect of a minor.

The four had been arrested in connection with the suicide in February of 13-year-old, Rouvanjit Rawla, a Class VIII student of Kolkata's La Martiniere for Boys. The incident had sparked off a public outcry against corporal punishment in educational institutions.

Rouvanjit's father had filed a case in June alleging that his son had been driven to take his life following mental and physical torture meted out to him by the school Principal, Sunirmal Chakravarthi, and three other teachers.

Mr. Chakravarthi later admitted to having caned the student. But the incident, he pointed out, had occurred four days before Rouvanjit took his life. He and three others were arrested in early October. They were granted bail against a personal bond by a court and charged under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986. In addition, Mr. Chakravarthi has been charged under Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code (related to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means).

Damayanti Sen, Joint Commissioner of Police of the Detective Department, had then said: “We had spoken to 82 witnesses in the course of the investigation, but could not establish the charge of abetment to suicide.”