Hathras (Uttar Pradesh): A horrific incident has come to light in Sahapau area of Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, where a class 2 student was killed as part of an alleged sacrifice ritual by his school's director for the prosperity of the institution, police said on Friday.
Five persons, including the school's director and his father, principal and two teachers were arrested in this connection, they added.
The incident took place in DL Public School, a residential educational institute, located in Rasgawan village under Kotwali area on September 22. Kritarth (11), a resident of Alhepur Chursen village of Chandpa Kotwali area, studying in class 2, was found dead in his hostel room the next morning. The post-mortem report revealed that he was strangled, police said.
Investigations revealed that the school director, Dinesh Baghel, and his father Jashodhan Singh along with some staff members had picked up the child from the hostel on Sunday night while he was sleeping. They intended to perform a sacrifice ritual at a room near the school. However, as soon as they reached the spot, the child woke up and started crying. To stop him from alarming others, they allegedly strangled him to death and then brought him back to his hostel room, police said.
According to police, when Kritarth was found lying unconscious in his room on September 23, Dinesh Baghel tried to drive him away in a car saying he was taking the child for treatment. However, the child's family members, who had arrived at the school by that time, surrounded the car and started creating a ruckus.
On information, a police team reached the spot and took the hostel operator into custody. Injury marks were found on the child's neck and investigations were launched immediately, they added.
Three days after the incident, police revealed that Dinesh Baghel's father, Jashodhan Singh wanted to sacrifice the child for the prosperity of the school and his family. For this, he made a plan with his son and chose a room near the school for performing the sacrifice ritual.
Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Singh said the school director and his father wanted to sacrifice Kritarth but the child woke up and started crying after which, they strangled him to death.
Following the incident a case was registered in Sahapau police station on the complaint of Kritarth's father Krishna Kumar. Five persons who were arrested included school director Dinesh Baghel, his father Jashodhan Singh, principal Laxman Singh and teachers Ramprakash Solanki and Veerpal Singh alias Veeru.
Circle Officer Himanshu Mathur said, "Father of the school's director wanted to perform 'tantric' rituals for the progress of the school and his family and so made a plan to sacrifice the child".
District Education Officer Swati Bharti has directed Sahapau's Block Education Officer Poonam Chaudhary to file a case against the director of DL Public School for running the institution without permission.
Here, classes are being run from 1 to 8 while the school is recognised only upto class 5. The school has been closed following the incident. There are around 700 students in this school.
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