Arnav Khaire, a 19-year-old student at Kelkar College in Mulund, Maharashtra, died by suicide after an alleged assault in a local train. His father, Jitendra, has since suggested that the first-year BSc student succumbed to mental pressure after purportedly being harassed by fellow commuters on the train for speaking Hindi instead of Marathi.
As quoted in reports, his father’s statement to the police reads: “On Tuesday, since Arnav’s first-class pass for the suburban train had expired, he purchased a general-class ticket and boarded a crowded general compartment at Kalyan railway station to go to college.”
After registering an accidental death report, the Kolsewadi Police has now launched an investigation into the case.
What do we know about Arnav Khaire?
According to his father’s account, the 19-year-old was on his way to college in a local train when Tuesday’s alleged Mumbai incident shook him. Given how crowded the train was, Arnav is said to have brushed against a man. He then made a request in Hindi to make some way for him.
Some passengers are said to have engaged in a minor argument, which ultimately escalated, over a language issue. His father shared that the other commuters questioned his son whether he was ashamed to of his “own language.” Jitendra added that these people still allegedly argued and beat his son even though Arnav told them he was Marathi.
Consequently, the unexpected development appeared to have left a jarring psychological mark on Khaire. In a statement to the police, his father said that four to five men questioned and purportedly assaulted Arnav for not speaking Marathi.
Overwhelmed by the unprecedented, the first-year Kelkar College student reportedly got off that Ambernath-Kalyan local train at Thane station. He is then said to have boarded another local to head to Mulund.
After taking a practical exam, Arnav called his father to briefly inform him about what had allegedly happened on the train. “Papa, I am not feeling well…” he said during the phone call. The teen again rung up his dad after coming back home, this time sharing more details about the alleged language-fuelled argument.
His father tried his all to calm Arnav down on the phone, while also reassuring him that he would film a police complaint.
However, when Jitendra Khaire came back home from work, he found that a life-shattering tragedy had consumed his family’s life. Jitendra further told the police that he and his neighbours had to break the door open because it had been locked from inside. Inside the room, Arnav is said to have hung himself using a dupatta.
Although the young Khaire was immediately taken to Rukminibai Hospital, doctors pronounced him dead at 9:05 pm.
Arnav Khaire’s suicide over fears tied to language dispute – Father speaks out
Amid the incessant surge of Marathi-Hindi clashes, Arnav’s death has sparked a renewed debate on the issue online. Jitendra Khaire, on the other hand, firmly demands justice for his son and those behind the reported local train assault be held accountable for their actions.
The college student’s father believes that his son took his own life due to the psychological stress the alleged assault had given him. In a statement to the Times of India, he said, “The fear and mental stress caused by the incident pushed him towards suicide. I want a full investigation and justice for my son.”
Under the current circumstances, efforts are being made to acquire CCTV footage through Railway Police’s help in hopes of progress in the probe.
