Nirmal meets protestors, Police constitutes SIT
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 1: The irate family members, relatives and residents of village Bhandhore held a protest demonstration and blocked Kathua-Billawar road for two hours along with the dead body of the 9th class student, Vasu Gupta who committed suicide at his residence in the village under mysterious circumstances yesterday when he was all alone.
The protestors demanded immediate action against the Management of Sacred Heart Convent School Billawar whom they held responsible for the suicide of 15 year old student, Vasu Gupta.
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The protestors squatted on the road raising slogans against the School Management and demanded their arrest. Despite the repeated pleas of local administration and police the protestors did not lift the road blockade and were adamant with their demand regarding arrest of the School Management whom they blamed for the suicide of the ward.
Later they dispersed on the assurance of Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Dr Nirmal Singh who represents the Billawar Constituency.
Nirmal Singh took the issue with IGP Jammu and SSP Kathua and sought immediate action in the matter. The SSP informed the Speaker that Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the matter.
The protestors have earlier demanded that they will not lift the dead body from the road till Management of the School is arrested. Later police summoned the Principal of the School and other members of the Management to Police Station for questioning regarding the case. However they were not arrested.
The protestors alleged that school administration was harassing the student and this is not the first case but six such incidents have taken place in the School so far in which the students were compelled to leave the School.
The protestors accused the police of not taking any action in these incidents with the result the administration and School Management was emboldened and such cases were on rise.
However the Management of School refuted the allegations and said that the student had a rivalry with the students of another school and they had come into the school premises to thrash him. They said to avert the clash the administration had asked the Vasu Gupta not to come to the School for some time till issue is pacified.
But the family members term it a concocted story and said that on such issues no one commits suicide. They demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and arrest of the Management to unravel the facts. The local Ex-Sarpanch, Balbir Singh and Anu Gupta a relative of the student who were leading the protest said the Management was trying to hide the truth and cover its sins this way.
When contacted SSP Kathua, Sridhar Patil said that police has constituted the SIT headed by Dy SP Headquarters, Kathua to probe the matter. He said the Father of the School and other members of Management were summoned in Billawar Police Station for questioning today but they were not formally arrested. He said matter is being investigated under Section 174 CrPC. Besides the previous cases are also being investigated, he added.
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