“Maa, I Didn’t Steal Chips”: Suicide Note of 12-Year-Old After Public Shaming
The boy came back home with his mother, locked the door of his room from inside and never opened the door.
Kolkata:
A 12-year-old boy killed himself by allegedly taking pesticide after he was accused of shoplifting and ordered to perform sit-ups by a shopkeeper for “stealing” a packet of chips at Panskura in Paschim Medinipur district, a police officer said Friday.
Krishendu Das, a class 7 student, is said to have stolen a packet of chips from a shop at Gosaiber bazar in the Panskura area on Thursday evening after he could not locate the shopkeeper Subhankar Dikshit. He had cried out “uncle I will buy chips” again and again without any response and then left the shop with one packet of chips allegedly, the officer quoted his distraught mother.
He was reportedly pursued by Dikshit who returned to the shop shortly later, slapped and forced to do sit-ups in broad daylight, the officer added citing a complaint from the family.
The policeman stated an investigation is ongoing Das’ mother was called to the location and she also reprimanded him and slapped him while the boy asserted that he picked up the junk food packet lying in a heap in front of the shop and would have come later to pay.
He even volunteered to pay instantly apologizing for picking up the packet without the owner’s permission but the owner charged him with lying.
A pouting Krishnendu then went back home with his mother, locked the door of his room from the inside and did not open it.
Later on his mother and neighbors broke open the door and he was found frothing from the mouth having a half-empty pesticide bottle on his side, the officer explained, adding that a purported note scribbled by him in Bengali was found on the side.
“Maa I am not a thief. I did not steal. Uncle (shopkeeper) was not present when I waited. On the way back I saw a kurkure packet on the road and picked it up. I love Kurkure,” wrote in the note.
Krishnendu also said, “These are my last words when I am leaving. Forgive me for this action(eating pesticide)”.
He was admitted to Tamluk Hospital and put in ICU but passed away shortly thereafter.
The shop owner, who was also a civic volunteer and was attached to Bengal Police to help manage traffic, first denied he had assaulted the child.
But once the incident became public he couldn’t be found because a crowd had gathered in front of his shuttered shop.
