West Bengal School Bullying Fatality Case

On April 12, 2025, at North Bengal Public School in Siliguri, West Bengal, 15-year-old student Arjun Roy died after being pushed down a staircase by three classmates who had subjected him to prolonged bullying. The perpetrators—Vikram Sen (16), Rajat Ghosh (15), and Aniket Das (16)—had repeatedly harassed Roy over several months, mocking his economic background and physically assaulting him. The fatal incident occurred during a lunch break altercation. Roy sustained severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The school initially described the event as an accident, but CCTV footage and witness accounts revealed a pattern of abuse. The case drew immediate media attention and public outrage.

The Juvenile Justice Board adjudicated the case in late 2025. All three minors were found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and were sentenced to three years in a special observation home—the maximum allowed under the Juvenile Justice Act. The school was held liable for institutional negligence and ordered to pay ₹2 million in compensation to the victim's family.

The primary controversy centered on whether the school administration ignored repeated complaints from the victim's family, constituting criminal negligence. There was heated debate over trying the juvenile perpetrators as adults, given the severity of the crime. Legal arguments also revolved around classifying the death as murder or culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The case ignited massive student-led protests across West Bengal and triggered a national conversation on school safety. It prompted the state government to mandate anti-bullying committees and establish a dedicated helpline. Educational boards revised guidelines, and several civil society campaigns demanded a standalone anti-bullying law.