Dalit Class XI student dies by suicide after alleged casteist harassment in Coimbatore Akilan’s family had reportedly complained to the school management after repeated caste-based taunts over his caste and food choices
22, Oct 2026 | CJP Team
A 16-year-old Dalit student, A Akilan, died by suicide at his home in Peelamedu, Coimbatore, on Wednesday, October 21, after allegedly facing repeated caste-based harassment by classmates. The police have registered a case against his school’s headmaster, class teacher and two students, following allegations that casteist abuse and the school authorities’ failure to act contributed to his death.
According to DT Next, Akilan, a Class XI student, had faced taunts from classmates over his caste and eating habits. The harassment had reportedly become so distressing that he left home last month and went to stay with a relative in Alandurai. His father, Ashok Kumar, brought him back and complained to the school management. Although the taunts reportedly stopped for a few days, they later resumed.
The FIR, as reported by South First, alleges that class teacher Vijayakumar asked students which of them ate beef. Following this interaction, two classmates allegedly subjected Akilan to casteist verbal abuse and physical assault. Akilan belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. His mother, Kousalya, has named the two students, the class teacher and headmaster Arunkumar in her complaint, alleging that the school failed to address the discrimination.
The harassment allegedly continued when Akilan returned to school after the Puja holidays on Wednesday. According to DT Next, he was subjected to caste-based taunts during the morning prayer assembly before returning home. His mother found him hanging when she returned home for lunch around 1 pm. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and the family’s allegations. A senior police officer told NDTV that the role of the school, the headmaster, the class teacher and others was being examined. The officer confirmed that a case had been registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused have also been booked under provisions relating to abetment of suicide and voluntarily causing hurt. Akilan’s body was kept at Coimbatore’s ESI Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The case raises serious questions about the school’s response to alleged caste-based harassment, particularly after the family had reportedly approached its management. The allegations against the staff and students remain under investigation. The incident also comes amid earlier allegations of caste discrimination in Coimbatore’s schools. Last year, the principal of a private school was suspended after allegedly making a Dalit student who was menstruating sit on the stairs outside her classroom to write her examinations.
Image: NDTV
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