OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Fresh allegations have emerged over the death of a 12-year-old Class VII student of Sainik School, Niglok, in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, after his sister accused senior students of subjecting him to severe bullying and torture before his death. The victim was found dead within the school premises on November 1.
In a video statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, the victim's sister, Miss Arunachal 2024, Tadu Lunia, claimed that the family was informed the boy had died by suicide. However, she alleged that dormitory mates revealed a disturbing sequence of events that may have driven him to take the extreme step.
According to Lunia, the family learned from fellow cadets that on the night of October 31, a group of eight Class X students and three from Class VIII allegedly entered the Class VII dormitory after 11 p.m., in the absence of any supervising authority
The senior boys reportedly forced the juniors to cover their heads with blankets and singled out her brother, taking him to the Class X dormitory.
"No one knows what happened behind that closed door," Lunia stated, claiming eyewitnesses told the family that the boy was harassed mentally and physically throughout the night.
She further alleged that he was branded a "thief" over a missing book and threatened with public humiliation during assembly through a video recording.
In her statement, Lunia said CCTV footage reviewed by the investigating officer showed her brother pacing anxiously around the dormitory at about 5:45 a.m., before entering a classroom to write what appeared to be his final note.
"His last words were, 'Seniors tortured me a lot, and I don't know what I will do now,'" she said.
She expressed anguish that her own identity may have been used against her brother, stating, "I never thought my name could become a burden in the final hours of his life."
The grieving sister also raised concerns over the delayed post-mortem report and alleged slow progress in the investigation.
"We know the names of those involved. I fear external interference may affect justice," she said, urging public support so that "no other family suffers the same fate."
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Police confirmed that eight juveniles had been apprehended in connection with the case and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pasighat on Tuesday.
Also Read: Arunachal: 8 juveniles detained in Sainik School cadet death case