Itanagar: The death of a 12-year-old student of Sainik School in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district has taken a grim turn after the victim’s sister alleged that he was subjected to severe bullying and torture by senior students before his death.
The boy, a Class 7 cadet, was found dead inside the school premises at Niglok on November 1.
In a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, the victim’s sister, Miss Arunachal 2024 Tadu Lunia, claimed that while the family was told he had died by suicide, accounts from his dormitory mates pointed to a night of abuse that may have driven him to take the extreme step.
According to Lunia, fellow students revealed that on the night of October 31, eight Class 10 students and three from Class 8 allegedly entered the Class 7 dormitory past 11 pm in the absence of any staff supervision.
The seniors reportedly forced the juniors to cover their heads with blankets and later took her brother away to the senior dormitory.
“No one knows what happened behind that closed door,” Lunia said, alleging that eyewitnesses told the family her brother was mentally and physically assaulted throughout the night.
She further claimed that he was branded a “thief” over a missing book and threatened with being publicly humiliated in the school assembly through a video recording.
CCTV footage reviewed by the investigating officer, Lunia said, showed her brother pacing nervously around 5.45 am before entering a classroom, where he is believed to have written his final note.
“His last words were, ‘Seniors tortured me a lot, and I don’t know what I will do now,’” she said.
Expressing anguish, Lunia added that her public profile may have become a source of pressure for her brother.
“I never thought my name could become a burden in the final hours of his life,” she said.
She also raised concerns over the delay in the post-mortem report and alleged slow progress in the police investigation.
“We know who was involved. I fear external influence may derail justice,” she said, appealing for public support to ensure accountability.
Meanwhile, police said eight students have been detained in connection with the case and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pasighat on Tuesday.
The board remanded them to the custody of the school’s vice-principal for seven days, with their guardians asked to provide undertakings under the Juvenile Justice Rules.
Officials said the case, initially registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Ruksin police station, was upgraded after the boy’s father filed an additional FIR on November 3, alleging ragging by senior students.
Authorities have assured that the investigation is ongoing to uncover the full circumstances leading to the student’s death and to ensure a fair outcome.
