Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh police are investigating the death of a 12-year-old Class 7 student from Sainik School, Niglok, in East Siang district, amid allegations that senior students subjected him to severe bullying before his death. The boy was found dead within the school premises on November 1.

On November 5, Miss Arunachal 2024 Tadu Lunia, the victim’s sister, spoke out on Instagram, saying authorities initially told the family that her brother died by suicide.

She said dormitory mates later revealed a series of incidents that may have contributed to his death.

According to Lunia, eight Class 10 students and three from Class 8 reportedly entered the Class 7 dormitory on the night of October 31 after 11 pm, when no supervising staff were present.

She alleged that the seniors forced the juniors to cover their heads with blankets and took her brother to the Class 10 dormitory, where he endured mental and physical harassment throughout the night.

Lunia claimed that the seniors branded him a ‘thief’ over a missing book and threatened to humiliate him publicly during the school assembly.

CCTV footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the boy pacing anxiously around 5:45 a.m. before entering a classroom, where he appeared to write a final note. “His last words were, ‘Seniors tortured me a lot, and I don’t know what I will do now,’” she said.

Lunia expressed grief and frustration over the handling of the case. She suggested that her public profile may have made her brother a target for bullying and criticized delays in the post-mortem report, as well as what she described as a lack of urgency in the investigation.

“We know the names of those involved. I fear external interference may affect justice,” she said, urging authorities and the public to ensure no other family suffers similarly.

“Police detained eight students and presented them before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pasighat on Tuesday.

The JJB placed the students in the custody of the school’s vice-principal for seven days and instructed their guardians to submit undertakings under the Juvenile Justice Rules.”

Ruksin Police Station initially registered the case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

After the victim’s father lodged an additional FIR on November 3 alleging ragging by senior students, authorities reclassified the case.

Police emphasized that a thorough investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death and assured the public of a “fair and logical conclusion.”

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