Bhubaneswar, 17 December (H.S.): The investigation into the murder of a Class IX tribal student at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) here intensified on Wednesday, with police detaining two institute officials for questioning in connection with the case.
Sources said personnel from the Infocity Police Station picked up the two officials as part of the expanding probe, though their identities have not been officially disclosed. Police confirmed that the questioning is aimed at ascertaining the circumstances surrounding the student’s death and the institute’s subsequent handling of the incident.
Earlier in the day, the Twin City Commissionerate Police stated that the student was murdered by his classmates, contradicting the initial claim by the institute that the boy had died after slipping in a hostel bathroom. According to police, the student was assaulted and strangulated inside a hostel washroom following a dispute.
So far, three students have been detained in connection with the murder. Senior police officials said preliminary findings clearly indicate homicidal violence rather than an accidental fall. The case is being investigated by Infocity Police Station on the basis of a Zero FIR.
The matter came to light after the deceased student’s father alleged that KISS authorities handed over his son’s body without conducting a post-mortem examination. He further claimed that there were visible injury marks on the body, including marks around the neck, raising serious doubts about the version initially shared with the family.
Family members have also accused the institute of delaying the disclosure of facts and withholding crucial information. They alleged that no medical records, treatment papers, or written explanation were provided by either KISS or KIMS Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) is scheduled to visit the KISS campus to conduct an independent inquiry into the incident.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
