12-year-old student bludgeoned to death, two classmates apprehended

“A school bag, containing textbooks and other study material, was found nearby and the body was head down under the water in the drain. At a distance of about five to six yards

from the school bag, a few blood-stained stones and a blood-stained white cloth were found,” said DCP (Southeast) Rajesh Deo.

The district crime team and forensic experts analysed the spot and exhibits were taken into possession.

“During investigation, it was revealed that the deceased child had seen the two juveniles smoking a cigarette on school premises and had threatened to reveal this to school officials. Hearing this, the duo allegedly lured him to an isolated spot and physically assaulted him, leading to serious head injuries which proved fatal. The juveniles will be produced before the JJB,” said the DCP.

The DCP said that during inspection of the body, head injuries, apparently caused by a blunt object were noticed. “The blood-stained stones would have been used in the commission of the crime. The body of the deceased has been shifted to the AIIMS mortuary. A murder case has been lodged,” said Deo.

A senior police officer, privy to the probe, said the child’s mother in her statement claimed her son was being “bullied” by his classmates and “frequently thrashed by them”.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the mother, who works as a labourer, alleged: “My son had told me several times he wanted to get his section changed as students in his present class used to abuse him and bullied him…”

She said she received a call from her daughter around 7 pm Thursday that her son was not home yet. “I rushed home from work and my daughter, husband and I started looking for my son… he had gone to school at 12 pm… I asked a few of his friends from school but they told me that he had not returned with them. I questioned one of the teachers and he told me that like every day, school ended around 6.30 pm,” the mother added.

Meanwhile, locals blocked the streets in protest over the boy’s death and demanded justice. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, met the child’s family members and gave them financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh.

The LOP demanded that the Delhi government order compensation of Rs 10 lakh for his next of kin and “the harshest punishment” for those behind it.