A student of class III, Dasari Aditya, aged 7, was found brutally murdered in the Government BC Welfare Hostel, at Challapalli, in Krishna district.
Students, who noticed the body in a pool of blood in the hostel bathroom on Tuesday morning alerted the staff. “The miscreants slit the throat of Aditya and killed him,” said Avanigadda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) M. Ramesh Reddy.
Police recovered the body and shifted it to mortuary for post-mortem. Investigation officers are questioning the warden and other inmates in the hostel.
According to the district BC Welfare Deputy Director I.R. Bhargavi, Aditya joined the hostel a month ago.
“We suspect that the boy was killed around midnight after gagging his mouth. Sniffer dog squad and the CLUES team were pressed into service,” the DSP said.
A native of Challapalli, Aditya, son of D. Venu, an artisan, was staying in the hostel along with his elder brother, D. Ashok, in class seven.
“In all, 59 students from various places are staying in the hostel.
The inmates are studying in different classes. The case is being investigated from all angles,” Challapalli police said.
DSP Ramesh Reddy said warden T.V. Ramaraju, who was supposed to stay in the hostel, was not present at the time of the incident, and the police recommended departmental action against him. A case under Section 302 IPC (Murder) has been registered and investigation is under progress.
Watchman sacked
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Bhargavi said a preliminary enquiry has been conducted and hostel watchman, Nagaraju, absent at the time of the incident has been dismissed immediately.
“One warden, three workers and a watchman were working in the BC Welfare Hostel, at Challapalli, in which the incident occurred. According to the enquiry report, both the warden, Ramaraju and watchman, Nagaraju, were not present in the hostel at the time of incident, and the murder came into light today morning”, the Deputy Director said.
Members of the Balala Hakkula Sangam (BHS), and AP Child Protection Network expressed concern over the brutal killing. They demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident.
BHS honorary president Achyuta Rao and Child Protection Network State president Kiran Paul and secretary Denny Isaac demanded the government order a probe into the murder and book the culprits immediately.