CBI probe sought in Uttarakhand minor’s murder

Dehradun, March 29 (IANS) The Commission for the Protection of Child Rights in Uttarakhand on Friday asked Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to order a CBI probe into the grisly murder of a student at a boarding school near here.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Commission, said a CBI probe should be ordered to ensure justice to the murdered Class 7 student, Vasu Yadav.

She also stated that students in the school were not getting adequate food which might have forced the student to steal biscuits, which reportedly led to him being beaten to death.

"Had the students been given adequate nutritious food, then this stealing incident could have been avoided," she said.

The senior secondary boarding school where a student was bludgeoned to death early this month was actually an ashram for orphans, she stated.

"We have come to know that the boarding school was actually an ashram to educate orphans," said Negi, a day after she made an impromptu inspection of the school at Ranipokhri area near here where 12-year-old Yadav was killed by two senior students.

Later, the school management buried the body in the campus in an attempt to hush up the case.

"Other students are very scared now," Negi said.

Five persons have been arrested on charges of murder including the school manager and the two students who had beaten Vasu Yadav with a heavy bat repeatedly.

The incident came to light only after Negi visited the school soon after hearing reports about the death of Vasu Yadav on March 10.

Negi has also ordered an inquiry on how the school managed to get an NOC from the State Education Department as well as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). "If it is an ashram how can you obtain an NOC," asked Negi.

Negi said she would launch inquiries on all such schools which are being run with forged documents.

Negi also said the owner of the school was still at large. "The owner is also an accused in the case. He should be arrested," said Negi.

Negi took cognizance of the fact that there were no CCTVs installed in the school. "Even the villagers are saying that the working of the school was very suspicious."

Meanwhile, a student has gone missing from the school, Negi said. "We have sought a detailed police report on this 18-year-old boy, who disappeared in 2017," said Negi.