A 12-year-old student of a missionary school was allegedly battered to death by two of his seniors in Ranipokhri area of Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district after he allegedly stole a packet of biscuits from a nearby shop, police said on Thursday. The body of Class 7 student was then buried by the school management within the campus in a bid to cover up the incident, according to the police.

HT had reported on March 15 that the 12-year-old-boy, studying in the boarding school, died under mysterious circumstances. Police registered a case on March 23 based on the post-mortem report which indicated that internal injury could be the reason behind his death.

Police have so far apprehended five accused, including the two senior students and three school staff. Two eyewitnesses recorded their statements on Thursday.

The school management had issued an order prohibiting students from going out of the campus without permission, after a nearby shopkeeper accused the victim of stealing a packet of biscuit from his shop, while he along with other students was going to visit a nearby church earlier this month. “Enraged with the boy for violating school’s order, the two seniors beat him up in front of other students in the hostel. However, none said anything fearing the same treatment,” said PD Bhatt, investigation officer and station house officer, Ranipokhri.

The two senior students then took him to the school building’s terrace, where they bathed him with cold water and then fed him, Bhatt said.

“I can’t believe my son is killed. I feel that he is still alive and happily cycling in front of me, which was his hobby. He used to visit me here in the shelter home,” said the victim’s father, a leprosy patient, who stays in a shelter home in Uttar Pradesh.

He claimed that the school management informed him on March 10 that his son had fallen ill. “I left to see my son on the same day and reached the hospital directly where doctors told me that he is no more. Not a single school staff member was there and my son was all alone. When I asked doctors, they said he was vomiting and he seemed to have sustained some injuries,” the boy’s father said. According to the police, initially no student was willing to speak about the incident.

Usha Negi, chairperson of the Uttarakahnd Commission for Protection of Child Rights, claimed, “The school management which is fully involved in the crime, had tricked the boy’s father to sign some documents after which they buried him [inside the school campus].”

School principal MM Chandiwal refused to take responsibility for the incident.

First Published: Mar 28, 2019 23:37 IST