Bhuban: In a heartrending incident, a Class X student allegedly committed suicide after being falsely implicated in a stealing case.
Fearing social stigma after a video showing him being questioned and forcibly made to accept to stealing of Rs 70 from a village eatery at Surapratappur village in Dhenkanal district Friday, the boy took the extreme step later in the evening.
However, the boy and his family members had denied of stealing any money.
Under severe stress, he went to an isolated temple near his village and consumed poison. The incident spread a pall of gloom in the village.
On the receipt of information, police reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem. After registering a case Saturday, the police started investigation.
Police sources said, village confectioner Krushna Chandra Sahu’s family accused the boy-Manoj (14), son of Baidhar Puhan of Pradhansahi of stealing money from the eatery. They alleged that Manoj had stolen Rs 70 from the shop when there was no one at the shop.
They called Manoj to their house and questioned him while others recorded the incident in their mobile phones. Later someone uploaded the video on social media platform that went viral.
Finding the insult unbearable, Manoj took the extreme step. He went to Maa Kali’s temple near Damasala river and consumed poison.
During investigation, Manoj’s mother alleged that Krushna Chandra’s family was responsible for her son’s death.
“They pressurised my son to confess that he had taken the money, when he had not stolen any money. They threatened him and forced him to accept that he had stolen the money and asked him to return it. As per plan, they had recorded the whole act in a mobile phone and circulated it,” said Manoj’s mother adding that her son ended his life failing to bear the false accusation.