Correspondent
PASIGHAT, Nov 2: A Class VII student of Sainik School, Niglok in East Siang district was found dead under alleged unnatural circumstances, prompting police to register a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
According to reports, the Vice Principal of Sainik School Niglok informed the police at around 8 am on November 1, stating that the student had allegedly died by suicide. Following the report, an FIR was lodged at Ruksin Police Station, and the body was sent to Bakin Pertin General Hospital (BPGH), Pasighat for post-mortem examination.
Authorities confirmed that the post-mortem will be conducted on Nov 2 in the presence of the student’s parents, who arrived from Ziro, Lower Subansiri district, late Saturday evening. The parents also visited the mortuary at BPGH around 9:50 pm to see the deceased.
Speaking to the media, East Siang SP Pankaj Lamba said, “It will be too early to draw any conclusion at this stage as the post-mortem has not yet been conducted. The exact cause of death will be known after the examination.”
The Officer-in-Charge of Ruksin Police Station has initiated a detailed investigation to ascertain the cause of death and circumstances surrounding the tragic incident. Police and school authorities are maintaining close coordination with the bereaved family as part of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, the parents of the deceased have alleged possible ragging by senior students from the hostel. The boy’s father, Tadu Tani, claimed that some senior students from Classes X and VIII may have been involved in ragging, which could have led to his son’s death.
The grieving mother broke down upon seeing the body at the mortuary and urged the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.
According to the investigating officer, the body was discovered on the roof of an overhead water tank, located near an under-construction building at the school premises — a site some distance away from the hostel.
The student had been marked absent during the morning PT session, following which a search was initiated. It was construction labourers who first noticed a body lying on the roof of the water tank and informed the authorities.
Police sources further revealed that the overhead water tank is yet to be officially handed over to the school authorities.
The incident has shocked the school community and raised serious concerns over student safety and supervision within the residential campus.