Mumbai: Andheri school's beloved teacher commits suicide

Ram Kamble

The C D Barfiwala school's beloved science and mathematics teacher Ram Kamble, 47, committed suicide on Friday morning, by jumping from the third floor of the school building. Kamble, who was hugely popular among students, was allegedly going through a rough patch in his personal life.

On Friday, Kamble had come to school around 7 am, just like he had been for the last 20 years. At 8.40 am, he went to the third floor women's washroom, which doesn't have a grille, and jumped to his death from there. Following this, the school declared a holiday for the students, who were immediately sent home. A staff member said, "It was like any other school day, but suddenly, there was chaos. somebody heard a loud thud. As we ran to the back side of the school, we saw Kamble sir had fallen in a pool of blood. Authorities were immediately informed, an ambulance was called and he was taken to the Cooper hospital."

'Very jolly person'
Upon being asked if Kamble seemed depressed, another staff member said, "He was one of our most-loved teachers and was a very jolly person. He was doing wonderfully in his career. There's no way we could figure out that he is going through a [rough] patch in his life where he would have to take such a drastic step."

Shedding some light on his personal life, one of Kamble's relatives who was present at the hospital said, "There were some issues in his married life. He and his wife had also been living separately. He used to reside in Andheri, where he took private tuition classes. But recently, they'd started living together again at their Malad home. Kamble's last rites will be held on Saturday after his brother and other family members arrive from Bijapur, his hometown. Confirming that Kamble had left behind a note, ACP Vinay Kulkarni from D N Nagar division said, "We've registered an ADR and are registering statements of people. The note contains just one line by him stating that he took this step because he was going through depression and nobody else is responsible for it."

Counseling in school
Alka Valia, one of the trustees of the school, said, "It is a very big shock to the school. He was such a great teacher, and was loved by all... We're thinking of having a counseling session or a similar activity once the school reopens. We already have a counselor in school and we'll discuss what needs to be done, as the incident occurred when children were in school."

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