Extreme step: Ninth grader kills self with father’s gun

Family says the boy had ‘psychological problems’.

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD:

A ninth grader was found dead in his house on Wednesday. His body was found in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound on his head and a pistol by his side. The police said the boy was mentally disturbed and had a history of taking extreme steps.

The Shahzad Town police said they were informed by Rescue 15 about the incident. On reaching the spot, they found the Khurshid Ali, 17, dead with the gun still next to him.

The police said he shot himself with his a 30-bore pistol licensed to his father. His father was at work when the incident took place and the boy was home alone, a police official said.

The body was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), where Ali was pronounced dead. His family obtained permission from the deputy commissioner to have it exempted from post mortem.

Quoting the boy’s father, the police said he had landed in hospital earlier after intentionally hurting himself with a sharp tool. He had been under treatment for psychological problems for almost two years, said a police official.

His family told the police that they did not want a criminal investigation into the incident as the boy had committed suicide. The body was handed over to the family for burial.

This is the fourth incident nationwide of a school-age child committing suicide in the last four days.

For coming late to class, student hit with brick

A schoolteacher allegedly injured a seventh grader by hitting him on the ankle with a brick in a government high school on Wednesday.

Ihtasham’s father, Rashid Qureshi has sought action against the teacher for beating his son in a complaint registered with the City police. The boy was studying at Government High School Ziaul Aloom for Boys in Raja Bazaar.

Rashid said his son was singled out and beaten up by the teacher, Muhammad Naeem, for coming late to class after recess, whereas all his classmates had come in late.

“My science teacher threw a brick at me which hit my ankle. My ankle is swollen and I am unable to walk,” said Ihtasham.

Qureshi, a property dealer by profession, said when he came home in the evening his wife said their son was limping after he was hit by a teacher.

When contacted, City police SHO Yousaf Mirza confirmed they had received a written complaint and were waiting for the medical report. If the report mentions serous injury, a criminal case could be registered against the accused teacher, he added.

Casualty Medical Officer at District Headquarter Hospital said the X-ray of the boy’s foot had been taken and he has been put under observation.

Talking to the media, the student’s father said he would formally complain to the principal as his son was too fearful to go back to school after the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2012.