[Bengia Ajum]
NIGLOK, 7 Nov: The East Siang police have received the postmortem report of 12-year-old boy Tadu Haro, who was found dead on the campus of the Sainik School here in East Siang district on 1 November.
Speaking to this daily, East Siang SP Pankaj Lamba informed that the PME report was received on Thursday, and that its contents will be shared with the family. He further stated that, apart from the eight children in conflict with law (CCL) who have been apprehended and sent to the custody of the vice principal of the Sainik School for a week, the police are yet to make any further arrests.
On the issue of demand for the arrest of the school authorities for their alleged role in the death of the late Haro, the SP said it remains a matter of investigation and that nothing can be publicly disclosed at this stage. While the police have refused to divulge details about the eight detained CCLs, they are believed to be senior students who reportedly ragged Haro the night before he was found dead.
The police have registered a case under Sections 108/106(1)/3(5) of the BNS, based on an FIR lodged by Tadu Tani, the father of the deceased student.
After conducting the funeral of his son, Tani told this daily, “I don’t know the reason for my son’s death, and only the investigation will reveal whether he died by suicide or if it was a case of homicide. If indeed he died by suicide, the police should investigate who was responsible for pushing him to that point. If it is a homicide, then those responsible must be brought to justice. At this time, I only want justice for my son. The investigation should be fast-tracked in the best interest of everyone.”
He further said that he is fully cooperating with the investigation process, and urged the teachers of the Sainik School to extend similar cooperation.
Earlier, in a video shared on her Instagram page, Miss Arunachal 2024, Tadu Lunia, the elder sister of the deceased, stated that when the family went to collect her late brother’s belongings, his classmates and dormitory mates revealed that on the night of 31 October, eight students from Class 10 and three from Class 8 entered the Class 7 dormitory after 11 pm, when the lights were off and no authority or warden was present. They allegedly ragged all the students in the dormitory.
According to Lunia, the dormitory mates also informed the family that the senior boys had asked everyone to cover their heads with blankets, except for her brother, whom they took away. “The boys who witnessed the incident on 31 October told us that my brother was taken alone to the Class 10 dormitory. Nobody knows what happened behind that closed door,” Lunia said.
She further stated that some eyewitnesses informed the family that her brother was not allowed to sleep and was tortured and harassed both mentally and physically for hours inside the Class 10 dormitory.
The death of the 12-year-old student has shocked the entire state. Questions are now being raised about the safety of students at the Sainik School here, with many parents expressing apprehension about the alleged ragging culture in the institution.
