A special court under the SC/ST Act in Darbhanga on Tuesday convicted a hostel warden for the murder of a class VII student at a residential school in Bihar’s Darbhanga district.
Special judge for SC/ST cases Shailendra Kumar found Rekha Sinha, a resident of Patona village in Patna district, guilty in connection with the killing of a student at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Awasiya Vidyalaya in Baheri block. Following the conviction, the court cancelled her bail bond and sent her to judicial custody on Tuesday.
The court held Sinha, the then hostel warden of the residential school, guilty under section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST Act. The case pertains to Baheri police station case no. 326/24, which was later registered as SC/ST case no. 03/25.
The court has fixed March 17 for arguments on the quantum of sentence.
According to special public prosecutor Sanjeev Kumar Kunwar, the incident occurred on September 15, 2024, when a Class VII student residing in the hostel died under suspicious circumstances. The victim was a resident of Shrirampipra village under Pator police station area.
In a written complaint lodged with Baheri police, the girl’s father alleged that ₹1,000 had gone missing from the warden’s purse and was later recovered from the student. Enraged over the alleged theft, the warden allegedly strangled the girl during interrogation, leading to her death.
{{/usCountry}}In a written complaint lodged with Baheri police, the girl’s father alleged that ₹1,000 had gone missing from the warden’s purse and was later recovered from the student. Enraged over the alleged theft, the warden allegedly strangled the girl during interrogation, leading to her death.
{{/usCountry}}During the trial, the prosecution examined six witnesses, including the investigating officer and the doctor who conducted the medical examination. The court completed the trial within one year, five months and 24 days before pronouncing the verdict.
Under the relevant provisions, section 108 of the BNS carries a minimum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment, while section 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST Act provides for a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, the special PP added.