The brutal killing of a 5-year-old child, Ashu Kumar, inside a private residential Gurukul school at Lodipur village under Kadauna police station in Jehanabad district has sparked widespread anger and grief. The incident has exposed serious lapses in the safety of children in private residential schools. CPI(ML) State Secretary Kunal has expressed strong concern over the worsening law and order situation and rising attacks on children.
A CPI(ML) fact-finding team visited the spot on April 6 and met the bereaved family. The team included State Committee members Ramadhar Singh and Mukesh Paswan. The findings are shocking and point to a barbaric and pre-planned act.
Ashu Kumar, aged 5, son of Hardeo Yadav and Sitavi Devi of Bulaki Bigha village, was admitted to the hostel of the Gurukul school on April 1. His elder brother Rishu Kumar, aged 7, was already staying there. On the night of April 5, both brothers were made to sleep in separate rooms. On the morning of April 6, the school authorities informed the family that the child was in a critical condition.
When the family reached the school, they found the child lying naked and soaked in blood inside a room. He was severely injured and tried to indicate what had happened. The family rushed him to Mahavir Emergency Hospital at Kanaudi, from where he was referred to Patna. Doctors at a private hospital in Patna declared him dead.
Details shared by the family before the CPI(ML) team reveal the extent of brutality: Deep cuts were present near both kidneys. The throat was slit. The genital organ was cut off. There was a serious injury near the right eye. The nature of injuries establishes that the killing was carried out in an extremely cruel and inhuman manner.
Enraged villagers from Bulaki Bigha, Guhari Par, Kanaudi, Muther, Lodipur and nearby areas blocked the National Highway on April 6 demanding action. The blockade was lifted after assurances from the Jehanabad SDO. The administration sent the body to PMCH Patna for postmortem in view of the gravity of the case. Before the arrival of the CPI(ML) team, the school was locked and all children were sent home. This has further raised serious questions. The Gurukul school, located west of Lodipur village, is being run on a rented premises by a person from Guhari Par through his relative from Parwalpur in Nalanda district. Bulaki Bigha village has around 80 Yadav households and 20 Paswan households. The entire village, including the victim’s family and 100-year-old great grandfather Jagannath Yadav, is in deep shock.
The CPI(ML) fact-finding team has demanded:
1. Judicial inquiry into the incident
2. Immediate arrest of those responsible and trial in a fast track court with maximum punishment
3. Adequate compensation and government support to the victim’s family
4. Strict regulation and monitoring of private residential schools to ensure children’s safety
The incident has exposed grave administrative failure and growing insecurity for children under the BJP-JDU regime.
