Hathras, Sep 27:   In a disturbing incident, police have arrested five individuals, including the director and three teachers of D L Public School in Hathras, for the alleged murder of a Class 2 student as part of a black magic ritual. The child, who was staying in the school hostel, was sacrificed in an attempt to bring fame, success, and glory to the school, as per TOI report.

According to Hathras Superintendent of Police (SP) Nipun Agarwal, those arrested include the school’s director, Dinesh Baghel, his father Jashodhan Singh, and teachers Laxman Singh, Veerpal Singh, and Ramprakash Solanki. “The boy was killed as part of a ritual meant to bring success to the school. We are investigating whether any other individuals were involved in this heinous crime,” Agarwal said.

The case took a chilling turn as police revealed that Baghel’s father, Jashodhan, was a firm believer in black magic and tantrik practices. Together with his son and the three teachers, they believed that sacrificing a child would lead to the school’s rise in fame. SP Agarwal further disclosed that the group had attempted a similar act earlier with another boy, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

D L Public School, located in Rasgawan under Sahpau police station limits, has around 600 students, and its hostel houses children from Classes 1 to 5. The victim was the son of Krishan Kushwaha, a software engineer working at a private firm in Delhi.

The boy’s body was discovered on Monday morning when hostel staff and students found him unresponsive in his bed. Instead of immediately reporting the incident, the school’s director, Dinesh, allegedly attempted to cover up the crime. He took the boy’s body and drove around Agra and Aligarh for several hours in a bid to hide the evidence. The child’s family, who are from Tursen village in Hathras, were falsely informed that their son was unwell.

However, upon arriving at the school, the family could not locate their son. Realizing something was amiss, Krishan Kushwaha contacted the local police, which prompted a manhunt for Dinesh Baghel. After a few hours, police located the boy’s body inside Baghel’s vehicle. The child had visible injury marks on his neck.

SP Agarwal confirmed, “The child’s body was found in the director’s car after the family raised the alarm. An autopsy revealed that the boy had been strangled to death on Sunday night. We have registered a case of murder against the five accused under Section 103(1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”