St. Columba’s School in Ashok Place on Thursday described the Delhi government’s inquiry report on the death of a Class 10 student as “flawed” and “one-sided”. It stated that the probe committee reached “adverse conclusions” without giving the school a hearing or ascertaining the truth from it.
Following the 16-year-old boy’s death by suicide on November 18 last year, the Directorate of Education (DoE) had ordered a probe by a five-member panel into the allegations mentioned in his note and the FIR filed by his father against the school’s teachers. The inquiry committee had held the school authorities responsible for abetment to suicide.
The school rejected the report, stating that the inquiry was conducted “completely behind the back” and the institution was not given an opportunity to be heard or present its version. “Neither the school nor the teachers concerned were provided copies of the complaints or statements relied upon, an opportunity to cross-examine students or other witnesses, or a chance to rebut adverse material before conclusions were drawn,” the school stated in its response.
‘Vested interests’
The school claimed that when the committee visited the campus on November 21, it did so with “vested interests and an absolute bias against the school”, which made the exercise a “one-sided inquiry”. It also dismissed the report’s findings that the school lacked systems to monitor the behaviour of teachers or document students’ mental health.
“These allegations are absolutely unfounded as the inquiry committee neither met nor examined a single counsellor, nor inspected any counselling records or reviewed the school’s mental health protocols,” it stated.
The school said the committee did not seek internal policies, code of conduct documents, grievance redressal mechanisms, records of counselling infrastructure, or any other objective material.
Based on the report, the DoE had issued a show-cause notice to the school on December 12, asking why it should not be de-recognised. The school has challenged the show-cause notice and the inquiry report before the Delhi High Court through a writ petition. The court on January 21 had granted the school liberty to submit a reply to the show-cause notice and directed the DoE to consider it, provide a personal hearing, and thereafter pass an order in accordance with law.
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Published – January 30, 2026 01:34 am IST
