The family of Harshit Sharma, a 16-year-old school student from Chandigarh who made headlines a couple of days ago after it was reported that the teenager had been offered a graphic designer job in Google said he has been left devastated after it emerged that the job was a hoax.

According to his mother Bharti Sharma, Harshit had fallen victim to a hoax phone call which claimed that he had been selected for a ‘graphic artist’ job in Google.

“Harshit got a phone call. We did not believe it at first. I kept telling him it could be a hoax. He shared the information with his school principal, who further released a press note, which led to media coverage,” Bharti told Hindustan Times.

BCCL/ File

According to report ever since Google officially denied hiring Harshit, the teenager has traumatised and is hospitalised.

The family said it was the school authorities that issued a press release and not them.

Indra Beniwal, the principal of the Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS) where Harshit was a student said the family has admitted that their son has made a mistake.

"Harshit's parents have accepted that their son has committed a mistake (by claiming to have been selected by Google)," Ms Beniwal said.

She added that the school had issued the press release based on documents Harshit had provided.

Harshit's parents however said he had only told the principal about the call and did not provide any documents.

However another teacher Deep Kiran calimed that Harshit had in fact forwarded his offer letter to her on WhatsApp.

He told me he had applied to Google online and was selected. He told me would be leaving for US in the next few days,” she told the New Indian Express.

Following the embarrassing episode, the Chandigarh administration has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report from the school.

"We should have verified the documents," Ms Beniwal said.