Her only son died four years ago on 24th February, and the single mother is waiting for justice.Aarti Malhotra, known as Internet Ki Mummy on Instagram, is still grieving. Even after four years, her pain remains raw. She spends her days remembering her 16-year-old son, the torment he was inflicted with, and the justice that still eludes them.Arvey was no ordinary child. He was an artist, extremely creative, intelligent and a multi-talented child who had won several awards and accolades. Then what happened at school that this healthy, happy, confident and talented child had to take a drastic step?Arvey Malhotra died by suicide on February 24, 2022. As a single mother and former teacher at Delhi Public School (DPS) in Greater Faridabad, where Arvey was also a student, Aarti’s world shattered when Arvey jumped from their residential building, leaving behind a suicide note blaming relentless school bullying and harassment.“Dear Mumma, you are the best mom on this planet. I am really sorry that I couldn’t be more brave. This school has killed me. I can’t live in this hateful world..” Arvey wrote in a note.
“They started bullying him since he was in 6th standard and would tease him and isolate him and make commnets about his sexuality. By ninth grade it went from bad to worse. While reading a chapter on bullying, he suffered a panic attack. I took him to the psychologist and when his treatment began it was there that he revealed that his classmates blindfolded him and forced him to undress in a bathroom where he was sexually assaulted. I immediately took this up with school authorities, also sent a written complaint. Imagine, I was teacher in the same school and this happened to my son. Arvey wanted punishment for the boys who assaulted him. He was seeking was support from the school, which he did not get. He did not even get an apology.”
“But not much happened at that time and this impacted my son tremendously. In fact he felt alienated and isolated as if all was his fault. It was because of this that he began having panic attacks. When he started having panic attacks, I took him to a psychologist who also diagnosed him with dyslexia. I informed the school, and as per CBSE guidelines, such children are given a scribe to write in the examination. He had given his exams in December and scored 82 percent marks. But during his pre-boards they did not arrange for a scribe. When he asked for it before the exam he was asked to sit in the medical room. Think of a child being treated like this during his exam paper! How could they simply miss arranging a writer during my child’s board exams, especially when I had constantly reminded them? Naturally it impacted him tremendously” says Aarti.All this greatly impacted him and he lost complete faith in people and this probably lead to this extreme step.Not only did the school take no action with regard to Arvey’s suicide, they even asked Aarti to leave. “Arvey died by suicide in February. In March, I got a letter from the school saying that they were relieving me from all my services on a sympathetic note because the case was going on in court.”
Since 2022, Aarti has channeled grief into activism via Instagram (@internet_kimummy), sharing Arvey’s poems, updates, and pleas. An FIR led to an SIT probe, but delays persist—no convictions for bullies or school negligence despite POCSO applicability. In February 2025, she protested at Jantar Mantar for anti-bullying laws, highlighting judicial backlogs. “Those who commit suicide are not weak. My son was a bright, intelligent child who has won so many awards and was extremely creative. All he wanted was justice.” Aarti is exhausted from threats and inaction. She demands accountability: “My son should get justice… .” The pain that a mother is going through is unimaginable…but sadly there seems to be no end to this road where she walks to seek justice.
