Hosteller, not school owners, killed Hathras boy: Police

The Hathras police stood by their claim that a 15-year-old boy allegedly killed a Class 2 student and fellow hosteller at DL Public School in September, so that the school declares a holiday, after doubts were raised by the fathers of the deceased and the accused on the investigations into the case.

- Hemendra Chaturvedi

AGRA:

The alleged murder took place on September 22, but came to the fore on September 27 when five people—including school manager Dilip Lal Baghel, his father and a black magic practitioner Jasodan Singh, principal Laxman Singh and teachers, Veer Pal aka Veeru and Ram Pal Solanki—were arrested.

At that time, it was suspected that this was a case of a botched attempt for human sacrifice, and the accused were denied bail. The five, however, were no longer facing murder charges.

However, now the police filed a charge sheet against a 15-year-old boy, alleging that he killed the fellow hosteller, a class 2 student, a senior officer said.

The charge sheet submitted by the police before a court in Hathras also cleared the five accused initially arrested in the case of murder charges. They, however, remain booked under other charges, including concealing evidence. In the charge sheet filed on December 23, the Hathras police charged the 15-year-old boy, a class 8 student, with murder, alleging that he strangulated Kratarth Kushwaha to death.