Arunachal: Three Sainik School staffers held in cadet's death case

Three staffers of Saninik School, Nigolok, in Arunachal Pradesh's East Siang district have been arrested in connection with the death of a 12-year-old cadet on the campus of the educational institute, a police officer said.

On November 1, a class 7 student allegedly died by suicide on the school campus.

Subsequently, a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Ruksin Police Station.

The three arrested staffers are Devendra Singh (42), House Master of Subansiri House junior cadet wing, Kangge Darin (31), House Master of Subansiri House Senior Cadet Wing and Amar Singh Thakur (51), Hostel Superintendent of the school.

East Siang Superintendent of Police Pankaj Lamba said the arrests were made on Saturday after examining witness statements, forensic evidence and the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.

The case has drawn statewide outrage after reports emerged that the boy had sent a message to his sister shortly before his death, alleging that he was being ''tortured by seniors''. His family alleged that the boy was subjected to severe ragging and mental harassment in the school hostel.

Earlier, police had apprehended eight students of the institution, all juveniles, in connection with the case and produced them before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The case, initially registered as an unnatural death, was reclassified under abetment-related provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after preliminary findings pointed towards possible culpability of both students and staff members.

On Saturday evening, Arunachal Pradesh Education minister Pasang Dorjee Sona visited the school and interacted with the school authorities.

The minister instructed the school authorities to extend full cooperation to the police in the ongoing investigation.

The minister further directed them to provide immediate counselling support to students coping with the trauma and to adopt strict, preventive measures to eliminate all forms of bullying - physical or mental - within the campus.

''Ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for our children is non-negotiable. Every student deserves to learn, grow, and thrive without fear,'' he said.