16-year-old Humiliated Over Firecracker Incident At School Hangs Himself

A 16-year-old boy allegedly took his own life after a school principal scolded him and threatened to expel him over a firecracker that someone lit on the premises. The school principal and at least one teacher are under investigation as the incident is being treated as a case of abetment of suicide, officials said Sunday.

The incident occurred at a private institute in the Gwalior region of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, where the 12th grader, Mahendra Kushwah and his brother were students, NDTV reported.

Chaos ensued at the school on Nov. 3 after an unidentified miscreant burst a firecracker in one of the washrooms on the school premises. While it was not immediately clear who was behind it, a couple of teachers who reportedly rushed to the spot found Kushwah at the scene.

The 16-year-old was taken to the principal's office even though the teachers had no proof that he was the culprit, according to the Free Press Journal.

The principal insulted the boy, scolded him and punished him over the incident, the police said.

A complaint was filed against the principal, and the teachers said the teenager was detained for about an hour after school hours. The boy was also warned that he could face expulsion for the incident.

It is believed that Kushwah was so upset by the whole ordeal that ended his life at an aunt's house.

The family and the police were alerted after the aunt found him hanging in a room.

A case of abetment of suicide was filed against the principal and at least one teacher as the investigation continues. No immediate arrests were made in connection with the teenager's death.

An unrelated incident was reported earlier this month after the death of a teenage girl in India spurred an abetment to suicide investigation. The college student was caught on video stealing chocolate while she was in a shopping mall with her younger sister. The teenager then paid the price of the chocolate to the store officials and begged them not to share the video online. However, the video was posted online and went viral, following which the humiliated girl hanged herself.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, all seven days a week.