Hathras student murder: Teen chargesheeted, family of jailed school director seeks ‘justice’

Say wrong charges; victim’s kin too question new ‘police narrative’; SP says have new evidence

3 min readNoidaDec 28, 2024 03:03 AM IST

Hathras student murder, Hathras student dead, Hathras student death, Teen chargesheeted, Indian express news, current affairs

“Chargesheet is a termination point of a case, and different angles are explored before a chargesheet is filed. We had not filed the chargesheet against them earlier, but did so against the teenager,” he said.

Days after a teenager was chargesheeted for the September murder of a nine-year-old student at a boarding school in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, the family that runs the institution is now demanding “justice” in the case.

On 26 September, after the body of the student was found in the backseat of a car owned by the director of his school, Dinesh Baghel, the police arrested five people — Baghel, his father Jasodhan Singh, and three school teachers — in connection with the case, with the police suspecting the child could have been a “human sacrifice”.

But after investigations took a turn with the detention of the teenager, a student from the same school, Dinesh’s cousin Rahul is now questioning the pace of investigation, claiming that his uncle and brother were in jail on “wrong charges”. The villagers, he claimed, are now “seeing the family differently”.

“My grandfather, Dorilal Baghel, died on November 16, as he could not take the pain. The villagers see us in a different way now. All that we earned over the years is gone now,” he alleged two days after the minor student was apprehended for allegedly perpetrating the incident so that classes would be cancelled.

The police said the teenager “believed that the murder would lead to the boarding school being shut down, allowing him to go home”. Significantly, the murder charge on the five original suspects has now been dropped, although they still face charges of evidence tampering.

The sudden turn of investigation — and change in the police “narrative” — has left the family of the victim baffled. According to the victim’s father, this change happened “overnight” after the transfer of the Station House Officer at Sahpau police station on November 4. The police station is investigating the case.

“Even two months after my son’s death, I don’t know why he was killed… There were only 25 students sleeping in the room. A boy was murdered inside the hostel room by another student and no one saw anything? That’s not possible,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, police maintain that the teen was apprehended “after due consideration” of new evidence. Police said the teen used a towel to strangle the nine-year-old student.

“We have apprehended the minor after he confessed to having strangled the child,” Hathras Superintendent of Police Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said.

“The principle of justice says that no person who is guilty of committing a crime should be left out and no innocent person should be punished… Prima facie the evidence that we got and the evidence that we collected during the later part of our investigation have been cross-checked and verified and we have reached this conclusion after due consideration,” SP Sinha said.

On the five suspects’ previous “confessions” before the police, the SP said the new evidence didn’t support these statements.

Story continues below this ad

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused. "After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement. "Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida. 3. Human Interest & Features "'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter. "How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city. Signature Style Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Hathras
Noida

Loading Recommendations...

Mar 11: Latest News

Live Blog