SRINAGAR (J&K): On the evening of May 22, the cries of a sister pierced through the lanes of Dallal Mohalla, bringing the entire neighbourhood to a standstill.
Everything fell quiet as shops were half-shuttered, conversations were broken mid-sentence as mourners gathered around the body of 14-year-old Numan Farooq Sofi. A boy wrapped in white.
While Numan became a memory, bidding farewell to the world, the family is left grappling with the brutal reality - he ended his own life.
The Chronology
On the ill-fated day, Numan was at home, watching television with his father and sister present. When the electricity went off at around 5.00 PM, he quietly slipped into his room.
When, after almost two hours, the power supply was restored, Numan still didn’t come out. The family went to check on him and began knocking on the door. When he didn’t respond, they knocked harder and eventually broke down the door.
Upon entering, they found Numan hanging from a rope tied to the ceiling. They immediately took him down and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.
A police official said that they have initiated an inquest into the incident. While the detailed post-mortem report is awaited, the initial findings indicate it to be a case of suicide.
His sister and uncle allege that Numan committed suicide as he could no longer bear the slow but consistent and suffocating humiliation. They say he was harassed by the school authorities at a private school in Srinagar, where he used to study, for having tattoos.
They alleged he was forced to strip and show his tattoos in front of school staff and was shamed repeatedly despite undergoing painful tattoo removal procedures. The family said he had a tattoo on fingers and a ‘gun like’ tattoo on his arm, and also some tattoos on his body which his family learnt about only after his death.
They say the school issued him discharge certificates and continuous warnings and also demanded written affidavits from him twice.
‘A Child Not Criminal’
Numan was a brother to two sisters, one of them specially-abled. A son of a mute and deaf father, he lost his mother at an age when most children are still learning how to write their names.
“He never complained, but was a witty and active child,” said a neighbour, sharing that he was soft-spoken and too soft for this world.
“He was a jolly boy and on that day we don’t know what happened to him, he just went to the room like normally and then never returned, only his lifeless body came out from the room,” his uncle Ajaz Ahmad Kaloo said, as a cold sigh escaped his lips.
“He was not a criminal,” his sister Mehwish Sofi told the Kashmir Times as she wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “But they made him feel like one.”
The school denied all allegations, calling them “baseless,” and claimed it maintained respectful communication with family.
Police, however, have launched an investigation and have recorded statements of school as well as from Numan’s family and added that investigation is ongoing in this incident and “inquest proceedings” are ongoing.
According to the primary investigations, it’s a suicide case and the reason behind it is being investigated. If anyone is found guilty of abetment, whoever it is, will be strictly dealt under law.
‘Humiliation” and Disciplinary Action
According to Numan’s family, the ordeal started when the school staff noticed tattoos on his arm about a year ago.
As per Mehwish, Numan’s sister, he was “harassed” by the school staff after they noticed tattoos on his arms and body sometime in early 2024.
The harassment reportedly continued even after he began undergoing tattoo removal procedures around mid-year, with Mehwish alleging that the staff went as far as “forcing him to strip and show his tattoos in front of school staff.”
“He was a 14-year-old boy going through a phase of self-expression and also undergoing painful laser removal sessions”, the sister says, “Yet, the school continued to treat him like a miscreant.”
“They grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the office from the schoolyard,” recalls his elder sister, Mehwish Sofi, her voice trembling.
“He was deeply ashamed and disturbed. We only found out what happened from his best friend, the one Numan had called and asked to come to our house at 6 PM. But before his friend could reach, he had already taken that extreme step. He was just 14… just a kid. A teenager…..” and her voice trails.
Mehwish added that they only learned about the extent of the harassment after Numan’s death.
“His best friend, whose name I won’t mention, came to the funeral and told us that Numan had said, "I can’t bear this anymore. He also told us about the incident where the staff dragged him by the collar.” That’s how the family came to know what he was going through.
The family claimed the school administration issued him interdisciplinary notices. The family claimed the school issued disciplinary notices “not once but twice” initially and demanded written affidavits from them to allow Numan to continue attending classes.
Mehwish further stated, “They (school) told us Numan couldn’t continue unless we gave them a written affidavit saying we take full responsibility for his behaviour, and that he would not repeat such things again. So we did, not once, but twice. Still, they didn’t stop. They mentally tortured Numan.”
She added that the school issued a total of four disciplinary notices: on 01-09-2024, 19-09-2024, 01-10-2024, and the last on 20-05-2025. “I still have copies of all of them,” she said.
The alleged repeated calls from the school, the public shaming, and pressure to prove that the tattoos were being removed, created an unbearable environment for Numan, the family says.
The first of these mentioned that “Numed Abrary of Class 7 “has been found involved in misconduct with fellow students. The matter was brought to the notice of the school authorities by peers who reported inappropriate behavior.”
It added, “Upon review, it was noted that the student has a prior record related to the "Neck Mashorat" incident. After evaluating the situation, the student was counselled regarding their conduct and advised to maintain discipline henceforth.”
The notice follows a standard administrative format but lacks specific details about the immediate misconduct. It references a previous incident, suggesting “a pattern of behaviour” without going into specifics.
According to this notice, the action taken appears relatively mild (counseling and advice) but the notice is vague about what "misconduct with fellow students" actually entailed. No specific consequences or follow-up measures were outlined beyond general counseling.
The School’s Version: “Allegations Are Baseless”
The Srinagar based private school, Kashmir Harvard Education Institute, where Numen studied, has categorically denied the allegations made by the family.
Talking to the Kashmir Times, an official from the school management said, the claims made by the family are baseless and false. “Numan was our own child and no doubt his family has lost a precious soul and so have we but at no point was the student subjected to humiliation or any form of abuse.”
“All communication with the student and family was conducted in a respectful and professional manner,” he said.
When asked about the issuance of indiscipline certificates and demand for affidavits, the school did not deny the administrative steps and said these were “routine formalities” to address disciplinary concerns.
They said a total of over four indiscipline formal complaints were raised against Numan and “all were dealt with proficiently”.
Angry Neighbours and Friends
While the school maintains its stance, the silence following Numan’s death has angered residents of Dallal Mohalla.
A neighbour called the tragic suicide most painful and if someone pushed him to take this step, it is an “extreme example of cruelty.”
“We don’t condone tattoos,” he said, “but what do you expect from a 14-year-old? Was humiliation the answer? Even religion teaches us to correct with compassion, not public shaming.”
Another neighbour says that the absence of even a token condolence or visit from school officials immediately after his death has been felt deeply by the community.
“Whether guilty or not, shouldn’t the school at least have acknowledged the death of one of their students?” he asked.
“The school administration came but after five days. Whether they did not know about the incident before, or it was a deliberate decision, we do not know,” says another resident.
Police Investigation Underway
The Police Station Maharaj Gunj, which has jurisdiction over the area, has launched an inquest into the incident.
A police official from the Srinagar police told the Kashmir Times that statements have been recorded from both the family and the school administration. “On May 22, late evening the incident happened and soon the family shifted the boy to the hospital where he was declared as brought dead.”
He said investigation was launched and an inquest was initated and CCTVs in the school were also checked, and the statements of family as well as of the school was recorded; and all facts in the case are now being looked into. The guilty will be taken to task.
“We are treating this as a sensitive matter involving a minor,” said the police officer pleading anonymity. “At present, inquest proceedings are going on and investigations are underway. Once the detailed post-mortem and forensic reports arrive, we will decide on the next legal steps.”
While no FIR has been registered yet, police have not ruled out the possibility of charges, depending on the investigation’s outcome as all angles have to be checked.
Meanwhile, police have urged ‘the public and especially you tubers and social media users’ to exercise restraint and responsibility while using social media.
“Social media should not become a tool for speculation or harassment,” a police officer said, requesting users to avoid sharing content that could interfere with the legal process or violate someone’s dignity.
He added that any attempt to circulate misleading or defamatory content or information may invite legal action under relevant cyber laws.
A Question of Discipline or Harassment?
Notably, Numan’s case has rekindled concerns about moral policing and the power private schools wield over students and parents in Kashmir. Many schools enforce rigid codes of conduct, but critics say schools are overstepping boundaries by interfering in student’s personal and psychological well-being.
“There is an urgent need for clear guidelines on student discipline and emotional safety,” said a retired education officer from Srinagar.
He added, “many schools lack trained counselors, and teachers often aren’t equipped to deal with mental health aspects. The Education Department must not only investigate but also set a precedent to prevent such tragedies.”
According to a Srinagar-based lawyer, Saheem Riyaz, while schools are allowed to set dress codes or behavioural expectations, penalising a student solely over a tattoo and especially if it is not offensive, can fall into a grey area legally.
“Unless there’s a written policy that was violated, such action may not stand up to scrutiny, particularly if it contributed to emotional distress,” he added.
Soon after the incident, MLA Shamim Firdous visited the grieving family and promised to raise the issue with the Education Minister, but weeks later, no official response has come from education authorities despite multiple contact attempts.
Another reaction came from G N Var, head of the Private Schools Association, a full week after the incident.
In a statement, he offered condolences, called for moral education and restricted phone use after 9 PM, and urged patience during the investigation. However, his delayed response was criticised widely in Kashmir as appearing more focused on promoting his association rather than genuine sympathy.
Many also pointed out that his remarks came a full week after the incident, raising questions about the timing and intent.
Wails Echo Fateh Kadal’s Narrow Lanes
Meanwhile, two weeks on, the wails of mourning still echo through the narrow lanes of Fateh Kadal, piercing the silence.
Inside the three-storey house, relatives and family members sit on the floor, stunned by the tragedy that they have never ever dreamed off. On the plastic chair placed in the corner of one room is an ironed school uniform that will never be worn again and the school bag which will never be carried.
Fourteen-year-old Numan Farooq Sofi, a Class 8 student at a private school, died by alleged suicide on May 22.
His death has sent shockwaves through the locality, sparking a police investigation, and raised serious questions about his death and who is behind it — the school or the family.
Back at Numan’s home, his schoolbag remains untouched. His uniform to be unworn, the “golden dream” of his family, to see him pass 10th class, buy gifts for them and live a life of his own is lost….
His sister picks up his textbook from the floor while recalling his days spent with his beloved brother.
“He was always excited about a class trip, whenever it was supposed to happen,” she recalled, her eyes getting moist.
The family is demanding an independent inquiry. “We are not trying to defame anyone,” Mehwish says. “We just want justice for Numan. We want no other child to go through what he did.”
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