Murder of a Hathras student: Long before he opened the school, the main accused was a faith healer

Later, when the school was functioning, he mysteriously had a room for himself at the back of the school premises, villagers said.

As villagers and police spoke about Jasodhan Singh, one of the arrested men and father of the school principal, grief, shocked silence and fear for the future of their children connected the villages of Rasgawan and Tursen like a common thread. The DL Public School, where the boy was a Grade 2 student and lived in the hostel, is in Rasgawan while his home is in Tursen.

“Jasodhan Singh suffered paralysis seven years ago. Before that, he treated the villagers who came to him. He was known as 'Bhagat,' a term commonly associated with the treatment of supernatural diseases or having no scientific basis in medical science,” said a villager.

“We have evidence that Jasodhan Singh had also indulged in occult practices in the past and was the mastermind in this case too when his son, the principal and teachers colluded to leave the child dead,” Hathras Police Commissioner Nipun Agarwal said .

Agarwal stood by his claim that the police had solved the case and accused the accused of carrying out occult practices for the benefit of the school and their family.

“After the first FIR, another case was registered on an FIR by Khand Siksha Adhikari for violation of norms by the school management,” he said.

“Yes, there was a failed attempt on September 6 when another student staying in the hostel was attacked but luckily he escaped,” the Hathras SP said.

“If the need arises, we will take the accused into police custody to build a strong case,” Agarwal said.

The boy's murder was committed on the night of September 22 but was uncovered by the Hathras police on September 27 when they arrested five of the accused, including school principal Dinesh Lal Baghel, his father and suspected occultist Jasodhan Singh, the principal Laxman Singh and two teachers Veer Pal alias Veeru and Ram Pal Solanki.

Meanwhile, the silence in the villages was broken by a motor convoy as the State Commission for Child Rights Chairman and two members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights arrived there with rank-and-file Shiksha Adhikari Swati Bharti and Hathras Additional Commissioner of Police AK Singh.

All the gates of the DL Public School were locked on Saturday, leaving the premises empty, in stark contrast to the scene a week ago when nearly 700 students, including two dozen hostellers, were present.

Emotions are running high among parents

Shri Krishna Kushwaha, the father of the murdered boy, fell at the feet of Uttar Pradesh State Child Protection Commission Chairman Devendra Sharma, who reached his house on Saturday along with two members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

After losing their only son, Sri Krishna and his wife are speechless. Her four-year-old daughter studies as a day student at the DL Public School. She started school this year as an elementary school student.

“I want justice and the guilty should be publicly hanged and their school razed. The police have done their job so far but we are really disappointed with the education department who appear to have waited for a tragedy to happen before taking action. “She has now closed the school and initiated proceedings for violating norms, including running a hostel without permission,” the boy’s father said.

On his part, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Child Protection Commission, Devendra Sharma, assured all support and said that an investigation would be carried out to identify all the culprits and that no injustice would be done to the family who lost their child in such an unfortunate manner .

No idea about the future of the children

Rasgawan village has around 2200 voters and around 200 to 225 of the children here are students of DL Public School. The village population consists almost equally of Thakurs, Jatavs and others, including Baghels.

“We now have no idea what will happen to the academic future of our children who were students in the now closed school. I had paid ₹10,000 as 6 months fees for my three grandchildren a week ago. Now I have to make an effort to save my grandchildren’s school year,” said Bhajan Lal, a resident of Rasgawan.

“We are in shock and our children are now afraid to go to school,” said another villager, who also raised questions about the future of 700 students at the school, which was closed in the middle of classes.

“The school was founded five years ago as an English teaching facility but was closed due to the lockdown. After the pandemic, it became functional again and grew with students coming even from other districts like Mathura. But most of the students come from nearby villages and come by school bus,” said Ajay Baghel, a villager.

2nd grade student, not the first

A nine-year-old boy riding a bicycle in the nearby village of Behardoi turns around when his grandfather calls him and stands in front of the HT reporter. He tells what happened to him on September 6th.

“On the evening of September 6, I had something to eat and went to sleep but was shocked to find 'Uncle' (Jasodhan Singh) holding my neck and choking me until I managed to scream for help. “A teacher and other students in the dorm rushed over and 'Uncle' let go of him,” the nine-year-old child said.

“The child’s father received a call that his son was suffering from epilepsy. Dinesh Baghel came by car and took the child's parents and grandmother with him and brought back the child who stayed at home for days because he was afraid to go back to school. “He went to school for two days before the incident and was there when a similar attack was carried out on the second grader,” said the nine-year-old boy's uncle.

FAMILY JUMPS TO DEFENSE OF SCHOOL OWNER

A two-story house in the middle of Rasagawan village belongs to the Baghel family, who ran the school.

The family's patriarch, Dori Lal, 90, lies on a cot on the ground floor. His son Jasodan Singh, 65, and grandson Dinesh Baghel, 44, are innocent, said Dori Lal, who has lived in Rasgawan since his birth.

After the arrest of Jasodhan and Dinesh, the remaining family members living in the house are mostly women.

Dinesh's sister Vineeta Baghel said, “There is someone who was either jealous or had enmity with our family who conspired and caused the school to be closed.”