Kathmandu, March 30

Police have formed a five- member committee to investigate the death of a 14-year-old student in a school run by Nepal Police in Samakhushi.

DIG Bam Bahadur Bhandari told THT that Kundan Magar, who was a student of Grade 8, allegedly jumped to death from the third storey of the school yesterday after the school administration told him that it would call his parents to discuss his Facebook messages sent to a female classmate.

“We have formed a committee under Superintendent of Police Shyam Gyawali serving at Crime Division to probe the death of the student,” Bhandari said. He added that the committee had been given seven days to investigate the incident.

According to DIG Bhandari, the school administration had called parents of both students to discuss a complaint lodged against Magar by his fellow student about his Facebook message. Magar’s parents did not reach school on time and the school administration said it would send staffers to call his parents from his home in Gongabu. Magar then allegedly jumped to death from the third storey of the school building.

Bhandari said details of the incident would be divulged only after the probe was over.

Meanwhile, Magar’s parents said they were not satisfied with the explanation given by the school management regarding their son’s death and have demanded action against the guilty. Magar’s parents and their relatives gheraoed the school and chanted slogans against the school management.

They had refused to accept the body of their son until this evening.

The incident came to light after Magar’s parents and their relatives raised slogans outside the school.

Psychologist Ganga Pathak said the manner in which the school administration handled the case was incorrect. She

said the school administration should not have made such a minor Facebook related incident a big issue. “Instead of resolving the situation, the school administration appears to have aggravated it,” said Pathak, adding that Magar’s behaviour was normal for his age.

She said teenagers like Magar were usually unable to differentiate between right and wrong. She said all schools should have a counsellor or mediator to resolve such situations.