Faiz SiddiquiKanpur: The autopsy report of an 11-year-old student at a private school operating on a gurukul pattern in Alamnagar, Lucknow, who was murdered and whose body was found dumped outside his home in Kanpur on Wednesday, showed the child was burned with a cigarette 11 times and had 43 marks of serious injuries.Maharajpur Police registered a case against gurukul operator and took him and another suspect into custody. Police said the student died due to internal injuries, and slides were prepared and sent for examination amid suspicion of sexual assault.Kanpur DCP (East) Satyajit Gupta, while providing details of the investigation, stated that four slides were prepared due to suspicion of murder following sexual assault.The deceased student’s father said he enrolled his son in the gurukul on Apr 15. He said that on Wednesday at around 10am, operator arrived in his car, dumped the child’s body near their home, and fled. The father said he learned about the institution through a relative, where free Vedic education is provided. He said the family was in daily contact with the child and, until a day before the incident, he did not mention any trouble.On Wednesday morning, the family first received information that the child was injured after falling from stairs. However, shortly after, gurukul operator allegedly arrived with the body in a car and fled after leaving it a short distance from the house. The incident triggered outrage among family members and local residents.The family claimed the child’s body bore more than 40 injury marks, and wounds resembling cigarette burns were visible at several places. The child’s uncle said the child must have been tied up and tortured, as rope-like marks were found on his hands and feet. His elder sister also said that in recent conversations, he did not mention any illness or trouble.After the body arrived home following the post-mortem examination, the family refused to perform the last rites and demanded strict action against the accused. Police registered the case and sent a team to Lucknow for investigation. Lucknow Police also confirmed coordination with Kanpur Police in the matter.Suresh Singh, inspector of Lucknow Para, said that a police team from Kanpur’s Maharajpur police station came to Lucknow to investigate and took accused gurukul operator and another youth for questioning. Additional police force was deployed in view of tension in the area.Police also found that the gurukul operated from a rented house where only 8-9 students studied. Police were investigating whether other children at the facility were subjected to abuse.Meanwhile, assembly speaker Satish Mahana, under whose assembly the boy’s native home is located, visited his village in Kanpur and met his family, describing the child’s murder as heinous and issuing strict instructions to SDM Narwal to immediately arrange housing and financial assistance from the revenue department for the victim’s family.In Kanpur, Mahana met the boy’s family members and consoled them. He said that the accused, who took the child’s life with such barbarity, would be given the strictest punishment.Mahana said that the heinous manner in which the accused murdered the child is something he has never witnessed in his entire life. This is an incident that shames humanity. Taking note of the deplorable financial condition of the victim’s family, Mahana said that every possible government assistance should be provided to the family through the revenue department. He said that govt housing should be arranged for the victim’s family and whatever financial aid is due from the revenue department should be made available on a priority basis.Mahana said that the government is taking this matter with utmost seriousness. He said that the police are investigating the case. Teams will soon arrest the accused, and through the legal process, the accused will receive such punishment for their actions that it will set an example.
