Jehanabad: The death of a five-year-old UKG student at a residential school in Bihar’s Jehanabad district has triggered outrage among family members and villagers, who have alleged foul play and demanded a thorough investigation.
The deceased child, identified as Ashu, had recently been admitted to a Gurukul hostel in Lodipur, where he lived with his seven-year-old elder brother who studies in Class 1 at the same institution.
According to the family, Ashu had been staying at the hostel for only five days. His grandfather, Ramji Prasad, said the child was admitted on April 1 and usually slept in the same room as his elder brother. However, on the night of the incident, the school staff allegedly took the child to an upstairs room.
“He used to sleep with his brother every day, but that night the staff took him to another room, saying they would show him a mobile phone,” the grandfather alleged.
The child’s father, Dhananjay Kumar, who lives in Bulaki Bigha village, said he received a phone call from the hostel around 6 a.m. on Monday informing him that his younger son’s health had deteriorated and asking him to come immediately. When the family reached the hostel, they were told the child had been taken to a hospital, but he died on the way.
Police officials said the child’s body had several serious injuries. Preliminary observations indicated deep wounds on the neck, eyes, abdomen and private parts. Investigators suspect that a sharp weapon may have been used in the attack, though the exact cause of death will be determined only after the post-mortem report.
Family members claimed they noticed multiple injury marks on the child’s body at the hospital. The grandfather alleged that when they arrived, a compounder was cleaning the child’s body and the child was not covered with clothes.
The family also questioned the circumstances in which the child was shifted to another room during the night. “If the child was sleeping in one room, how was he taken to another room? The school management is not giving clear answers,” Ramji Prasad said, adding that the family suspects the involvement of school staff.
A villager, Bittu Kumar, said he visited the hostel to bring back the elder brother after the incident and noticed blood stains at several places inside the premises. He also claimed that the two brothers usually slept together but the younger child was reportedly moved to another room on the night of the incident.
Following the child’s death, angry family members and villagers staged a protest by placing the body on the Gaya–Patna National Highway (NH-22) and blocking traffic. The protest caused long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway. The child’s father blamed teachers and hostel management for negligence and demanded immediate arrests.
The incident also created panic among parents of other children staying at the hostel. Several parents rushed to the campus and took their children home. According to local residents, more than 100 children were staying at the hostel, but the premises were nearly empty after the incident. Hostel staff reportedly fled the spot amid the growing tension.
Police later sealed the hostel to prevent any tampering with evidence and began an investigation into the case.
Jehanabad SDPO Manish Chandra Choudhary confirmed that a child had died under suspicious circumstances. He said the family has alleged that the boy was murdered with a sharp weapon, while the hostel management has claimed the child died after a fall.
“The hostel in-charge has been taken into custody and is being questioned. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death will be known after the report,” the SDPO said, adding that police are examining the case from all possible angles.
