Teenager, angry at teacher for pestering him about unpaid fee, kills his son: Cop

The victim, a class 9 student of Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya run by the state government, was studying at home for a school test when the suspect turned up

Published on: Nov 2, 2023, 21:03:57 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Bhubaneswar: A 16-year-old student has been detained by the police in Bhubaneswar on charges that he killed his former tuition teacher’s son because the 14-year-old’s father pestered him about unpaid fees, police said.

The accused was produced before the district juvenile justice board and remanded to a correctional home. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the victim, a class 9 student of Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya run by the state government, was studying at home for a school test when the suspect turned up late on Wednesday.

“As soon as he opened the door, the accused stabbed him in his chest, neck and stomach several times leaving him in a pool of blood. The minor was rushed by his family to the district headquarters hospital in Khurda town where he was declared dead on arrival,” said Bhubaneswar deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh.

Police said the suspect’s school bag was found at the spot. “He was then summoned and confessed to the crime during questioning. The accused used to take tuition from the victim’s parents about two years ago. He felt humiliated as they asked for pending fees amounting to ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 time and again and irked over it, he attacked him with a knife,” the DCP said.

The accused was produced before the district juvenile justice board and remanded to a correctional home.

The victim’s father denied that he pestered any of his students for pending fees.

“The accused is known to me. Why would I keep pestering him for money? I am sure someone has put out a contract for my son’s murder. The conspiracy can be unravelled only by CBI,” said Manoj Paltasingh, father of the victim.

A family member of the accused also contested the police conclusion. “The tuition teacher is a gentleman. I am sure he would not demand money from his students… There must be some other reason,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.