Hathras school director, teachers arrested for alleged 'human sacrifice' of class 2 student
Hathras: A Class 2 student was allegedly killed as part of a black magic ritual inside his school hostel in Hathras. The police have arrested five people, including the director and three teachers of D L Public School, Rasgawan, for their alleged involvement in the crime.
The deceased boy, whose body was found in the school director's car, is believed to have been ‘sacrificed’ for the school's purported success and glory, according to the police. The suspects in custody are school director Dinesh Baghel, his father Jashodhan Singh, and teachers Laxman Singh, Veerpal Singh, and Ramprakash Solanki.
Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal stated, "The child was killed as part of a ritual for the institution's success. We are investigating whether any additional individuals were involved in the incident."
Police reports suggest that the director's father, Jashodhan, practiced black magic and rituals. In the past, he had allegedly attempted to kill another child in a similar manner but failed.
The deceased was the son of Krishan Kushwaha, a software engineer based in Delhi. The school hostel, which houses around 600 students from Classes 1 to 5, became the scene of the tragic crime earlier this week.
On Monday morning, the boy was found unresponsive in his hostel bed by staff and other students. Instead of reporting the matter, Baghel reportedly attempted to cover up the crime by placing the child’s body in his car and driving to Agra and Aligarh for several hours. The boy's family, upon being informed that their child was “unwell,” reached the school but could not locate him.
Suspecting foul play, Kushwaha informed the local police, which led to a manhunt for Baghel. The boy’s body, bearing strangulation marks, was eventually found in Baghel’s vehicle after the family raised an alarm. An autopsy confirmed that the child had been strangled on Sunday night.
A case of murder under relevant sections has been registered against the accused, and further investigation is underway.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
