On April 1, a woman dropped off her five-year-old son at a school hostel in Bihar. Five days later, on April 6, the child was declared dead. The mother now seeks answers as to what happened to her child in those that took away his life. She had sent him to study at a Gurukul in Jehanabad, around 50 km away from the state capital, Patna, and now she is fighting for justice.
The child was allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, and was attacked with sharp objects, resulting in deep cuts across his body.
A Deadly Call From School
According to a written complaint submitted by the child's father, Ajay Kumar Sharma, at around 5:20 am, on April 6, he received a call from the principal and director of the Gurukul Hostel and School, Tarun Kumar, informing him that his son was severely ill.
Ajay was told that his son, Ashu, was in critical condition and had been admitted to a private hospital. Within 15 minutes, Ajay arrived at the hospital and found his son in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with cut marks all over his body.
"I saw that my child had his throat slit, his genitals severed, and cuts on the left side of his abdomen, his cheek, and beneath his eyebrow," the First Information Report (FIR) read.
On the advice of doctors, Ajay decided to shift Ashu to a multi-specialty in Patna, where he was declared dead.
According to the doctors, the child was sexually assaulted and repeatedly stabbed with sharp objects. The family has also alleged gang rape.
Ashu's elder brother, Rishu, was also enrolled at the same school and hostel, but lived on a different floor. He told his family that on the night of the incident, Kumar had taken Ashu to his room to sleep together.
Family Stages Protest
Ajay returned to the hostel with his son's body, where the family, along with villagers, staged a massive protest, completely blocking the Patna-Gaya National Highway-22, and demanding the death penalty for the culprits.
Traffic remained disrupted for hours, resulting in a massive pile-up of vehicles stretching for several kilometers.
The family believes that more than one person was involved in the death of their son.
Police Investigation So Far
The prime accused, school principal Tarun Kumar, has been arrested. A teacher and two female staff members were also taken into custody but were released after questioning. Police are also interrogating the school's security guard.
A case of rape by a person in authority, gang rape, and murder has been registered. A case of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 has also been registered.
The school has been sealed for the time being.
(With inputs from Mukesh Kumar)
