Daijiworld Media Network - Kanpur

Kanpur, Dec 26: Four staff members of a private school in Kanpur have been booked for allegedly mentally harassing an eight-year-old boy after accusing him of stealing a pen, police said on Friday.

The case came to light after the Class 2 student began showing signs of severe mental distress, including writing the word “Help” in his books and on the walls of his house, and crying in his sleep. The disturbing behaviour prompted the child’s parents to approach the police.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on December 23 against four staff members of the private school located in Sen Paschim Para. Those named include school director Devraj Singh Rajawat, principal Anuprit Rawal, and teachers Sangeeta Malik and Swatantra Agnihotri.

In her complaint, the child’s mother alleged that her son was falsely accused of stealing a pen and subjected to mental harassment. She stated that the boy was summoned to the school on December 12 in connection with an incident said to have occurred on November 28, a day on which the child had not attended school.

Following the incident, the family noticed a drastic change in the child’s behaviour. He became withdrawn, woke up crying at night, and repeatedly said, “Ma’am, I didn’t take the pen.” The child also began scribbling “Help” in his notebooks and on the walls of their home.

The complaint further alleged that the child was coerced into recording a so-called confession video. It also claimed that the school refused to share CCTV footage of the incident and instead pressured the family to pay for the pen.

Police said notices have been issued to the accused, but they have failed to appear at the police station so far. “An FIR has been registered and the matter is under investigation,” said Station Officer Pradeep Kumar Singh.