Krishnanagar, June 7: A chilling case of murder inside a girls’ hostel has shocked Nadia district, with police arresting two Class IX students for allegedly killing a seven-year-old inmate in a bid to force the closure of the hostel they no longer wanted to stay in.
The victim, a Class I student of a government-aided residential girls’ school in Krishnanagar, was found dead inside the hostel washroom on Saturday morning, less than a day after returning to the hostel following the summer vacation.
According to investigators, the two accused girls, aged around 15 and 16, had grown frustrated with hostel life and wanted to leave. Police suspect they believed that a major incident inside the hostel would compel the authorities to shut down the facility, allowing them to return home.
During the investigation, police found that the child had gone to the washroom for a bath on Friday night when the two senior students allegedly followed her. Investigators claimed that the duo forcibly immersed the girl’s head in a bucket of water, causing suffocation. To ensure her death, they allegedly slit a vein on her wrist with the blade of a pencil-sharpener before leaving the body inside the washroom and closing the door.
The body was discovered the following morning by hostel staff. The victim girl, daughter of a migrant labour couple, had been staying at the hostel for about past one and half year.
The Krishnanagar Police District immediately constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and launched a detailed probe. Forensic experts visited the scene and collected evidence, while investigators questioned hostel residents, staff members and teachers.
Police sources said suspicion fell on the two girls after investigators noticed inconsistencies in their statements. When questioned separately, they allegedly broke down and confessed to their involvement in the crime.
“The two minors have been arrested in connection with the unnatural death of the child and a murder case has been registered. During interrogation, it emerged that they were unhappy with hostel life and believed such an incident would lead to the hostel’s closure. However, the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and all possible angles are being examined,” said Krishnanagar Police District Superintendent Y. Raghuvamshi.
Investigators said the accused and the victim shared a close bond and often slept on the same bed, a fact that has made the crime even more disturbing.
Police are also examining whether any personal animosity, psychological issues or other factors contributed to the murder. Several samples collected from the scene have been sent for forensic examination.
The victim’s father, Animesh Kumar Saha, a resident of Sandhya Mathpara in Krishnanagar, said he had dropped his daughter at the hostel on Friday after the summer break and received news of her death the following day.
“I cannot believe what has happened. My daughter had been staying in the hostel for nearly one and a half years and never complained about anything,” he said, demanding a thorough investigation into the incident.
The two accused minors were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Sunday and have been sent to a correctional home pending further proceedings.