By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: A Class Two student was killed as part of an alleged “sacrificial ritual” performed by the owners of D L Public School in Hatharas District of Uttar Pradesh to make it more “prosperous” the police said.The owner of the School, Jasodhan Singh, his son and Director of the school, Dinesh Baghel,Principal, Laxman Singh an two teachers of the school Ramprakash Solanki and Veerpal Singhwere arrested for their involvement in the killing that took place on Sept 23.
A murder case had been registered against them, police said.The police said that the incident took place at the school where owner Jesodhan Singh, an apparent believer in tantric rituals, asked sis son Dinesh Baghel, the school’s director, to sacrifice a child for the “prosperity” of the school and his family.
The school had a low number of enrolled students and Mr Singh had availed of a loan for starting the residential school, which is located in Rasgwan village, prompting him to take up the extreme step. According to the police, the post-mortem report of the child, identified as Kritarth, revealed that he was strangled .
Additional Superintendent, Hathras Police Station, Asok Kumar Singh said that on Sept 23, the student was abducted from the school’s hostel by Ramprakash Solanki, Dinesh Baghel and Jasodhan Singh.
They took the student to a secluded place for the sacrifice but the student woke up and began to cry, the officer said adding that they strangulated him in a hurried manner.
The Basic Education Officer (Hatharas) Swati Bharti issued an order to shut the school and hold an inquiry into the matter.
She said the school ran without permission for Class I to VIII and that the hostel where the child stayed was functioning illegally.
Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Devendra Sharma called it a heinous incident and assured that action will be taken in this regard.
