Published Oct 22, 2026 | 8:25 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 22, 2026 | 8:25 PM
Akilan’s mother alleged that two of his classmates, class teacher Vijayakumar and headmaster Arunkumar, were responsible for her son’s death.
Synopsis: The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has sought a report from the Coimbatore City Police Commissioner on the death by suicide of 15-year-old Akilan, a Class 11 student who faced alleged casteist harassment and abuse at school. His mother has accused two classmates, a teacher and the headmaster of responsibility for his death, alleging that the headmaster failed to act on the family’s complaint.
The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has sought a report from the Coimbatore City Police Commissioner on the death by suicide of a 15-year-old Scheduled Caste student on Wednesday, 21 October, following alleged casteist harassment and abuse at school.
The Commission issued the notice on Thursday, 22 October, after a special sitting presided over by its acting chairperson, Imayam (V Annamalai).
Akilan was found dead at his home in Peelamedu on Wednesday. He was a Class 11 student at the government-aided KK Naidu Higher Secondary School on Avinashi Road in Coimbatore. His mother, Kousalya, alleged in her police complaint that two of his classmates, class teacher Vijayakumar and headmaster Arunkumar, were responsible for her son’s death.
An FIR has been registered at the Peelamedu police station against the four accused under sections relating to abetment of suicide, voluntarily causing hurt and offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the FIR, Vijayakumar asked the class which students ate beef. When Akilan raised his hand, two classmates allegedly abused him with casteist slurs and physically assaulted him.
The FIR further stated that headmaster Arunkumar failed to act despite Akilan’s family filing a complaint. The family alleged that caste-based discrimination led to the student’s death.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
