An Uttarakhand government body on Thursday asked the police to arrest the owner of a boarding school where a student was bludgeoned to death for stealing biscuits and his body buried in the school premises.

The directive came after the police on Tuesday arrested the five people -- the school manager, warden, physical training teacher and two students -- for the grisly murder of 12-year-old Vasu Yadav, a Class 7 student, of Hapur area in Uttar Pradesh this month.

The incident came to light after Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, visited the the Ranipokhri-based boarding school and ordered an inquiry into the death of Yadav.

"The police has failed to arrest the owner of the school who is still at large. We have directed the police to arrest him," said Negi.

A group of students were taken on an outing when Yadav allegedly stole biscuits from a shop. The management cancelled the trip and brought the students back to the school. Angry over this, some senior students started hitting Yadav with bats and then poured cold water on him.

The boy was later taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Instead of reporting the matter to the police, the management buried his body in the school premises to hush up the matter, a police official said.

--IANS

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