PATNA: Jehanabad Police on Friday arrested a 46-year-old canteen guard of a residential school on charges of murdering a five-year-old UKG student. Officials confirmed that the child was sexually assaulted before he was killed.
“The accused, Mukesh Kumar, alias Sudama, was arrested after an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). A post-mortem examination conducted by a three-member medical board of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) confirmed the sexual assault,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Abrajit Lohan said.
The previous day, the school principal, who is the main accused, was arrested for trying to hide the incident and initially portraying it as an accident, the SP said.
According to police, the incident took place on the hostel premises on April 6. “A case of rape by a person in authority and murder along with other relevant sections has been registered under the BNS. A case of sexual assault has also been added under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act,” the SP said.
The police said that the accused, under the influence of alcohol, sexually assaulted the child and later killed him with a sharp weapon to destroy evidence. He was identified after forensic teams found bloodstains and a suspected weapon from the building.
“The forensic team found traces of blood in multiple locations, including near the kitchen area, and found a sharp weapon near the bathroom window,” Lohan said, adding that surveillance camera footage showed the accused moving suspiciously inside the hostel on the night of the incident.
Revealing the details, the SP said that the accused was seen monitoring the students after turning off the lights and luring the child away before committing the crime.
“During interrogation, the accused claimed that he was suffering from a mental disorder and was intoxicated at the time of committing the crime. He said that he consumed alcohol in his room and later went out after hearing the laughter of children in the hostel. He also cited personal problems with his wife and alleged taunts by students as factors behind his behaviour.”
The victim’s family members claimed that they were initially misled about the circumstances of the child’s condition. The victim’s grandfather said that the child joined the boarding school on April 1, while his older brother was already studying there.
“The school principal informed us on the morning of April 6 that the child was ill and was taken to a nearby private hospital. When we reached the hospital, we found injuries on his body, which raised suspicions. On the advice of doctors, we then took him to PMCH where he was declared brought dead,” the grandfather said.
The family claimed that school authorities initially claimed that the child had fallen, leading them to suspect an attempt to hide the incident. They also said that the child was separated from his brother on the night of the accident.
HT reached out to school staff but had not received any response at the time of going to press.
