Kerala: 15 Y/O student dies by suicide over alleged bullying, ragging; investigation on
Ernakulam: In a shocking incident, a 15-year-old student, Mihir Ahammed, took his own life on January 15 after facing continuous ragging, bullying, and racial abuse at his school in Kerala’s Ernakulam district.
According to an India Today report, Mihir jumped from the 26th floor of his apartment building in Thrippunithura on January 15th. He was pursuing his studies at Global Public School (GPS) in Thiruvaniyoor, Ernakulam,
Mihir’s mother, Rajna PM, took to social media to reveal the shocking details of the abuse her son faced. She alleged that Mihir was subjected to brutal ragging, physical assault, and racial discrimination by a group of students at school and on the school bus.
In her social media post, she described how Mihir was forced to lick toilet seats, had his head shoved into a toilet while it was flushed, and was subjected to other forms of humiliation. “These acts of cruelty broke him in ways we cannot fathom,” she wrote.
Rajna revealed that she came to know about the incident after having conversations with Mihir’s friends and schoolmates, as well as a check of his social media messages.
Additionally, she shared screenshots of chat messages in which some of the alleged perpetrators celebrated Mihir’s death, with one message reading, “fk nigga he actually died.” She also revealed that Mihir was targeted because of his skin color, and even after his death, the accused continued to mock him.
Mihir’s family has filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Hill Palace Police Station in Thrippunithura and also submitted a detailed petition to the Chief Minister’s Office and the Director General of Police (DGP), seeking an immediate and impartial investigation.
In the meantime, Rajna expressed concerns that delays in collecting digital evidence could allow the culprits to erase the evidence. She also alleged that an Instagram page titled “Justice For Mihir,” created by his friends after his death, was taken down under pressure from the school to “suppress the truth.”
Responding to the allegations, Global Public School (GPS) issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the incident and denying any knowledge of ragging or bullying on its premises. The school emphasized its zero-tolerance policy toward bullying and ragging but stated that it could not take action without proper evidence.
The statement further read, “we remain vigilant in safeguarding every child’s mental and physical well-being.”
The school also revealed that its officials, including the Head of GPS International, the Dean & Principal, and the Exam Officer, visited Mihir’s home on the day of the incident to express their condolences.
The school authorities stated that they cooperated with the police investigation by providing screenshots of social media conversations shared by the family and calling in teachers, parents, and students named in the posts for clarification. However, due to the ongoing investigation into the unnatural death, the school stated it could not divulge further details publicly.
Furthermore, in her petition, Rajna alleged that she had informed the school principal about the ragging incidents and that she had also provided evidence, but the school authorities had failed to take necessary action. She accused the school of attempting to conceal the incident in order to protect its reputation.
Rajna also emphasized the need for systemic changes to prevent such tragedies in the future. “Mihir’s death must not be in vain. No other child should suffer like he did,” she said.
According to reports, Ernakulam District Child Welfare Council vice-chairman, Arun Kumar, stated that he would meet with the investigation officer and school authorities to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo-motu case over Mihir’s death, and the Kochi City police have launched an inquiry based on the family’s petition. The Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner has been assigned with the investigation, and the Hill Palace police have already registered a case of unnatural death.
The case has sparked outrage across social media platforms.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
