Boy killed after sexual assault in Odisha madrasa; five juveniles detained

A minor student at a madrasa in Nayagarh district of Odisha was allegedly murdered by his seniors after being subjected to prolonged sexual abuse, police said. Five juveniles have been caught in connection with the horrific crime.

The victim hailed from Cuttack district and was studying at a madrasa in Neelapalli. According to his father’s complaint, he was killed inside an abandoned bathroom on the madrasa premises and his body dumped in an unused septic tank.

Police said the victim had been repeatedly assaulted by a senior student. On August 31, around 1 pm, two students attacked him after another assault and left him in a septic tank, believing him dead. The boy managed to escape that night, but on September 2, he was again lured to the spot by two students, under the pretext of rescuing him. Along with three others, they allegedly assaulted him, strangled him to death, and disposed of the body in the tank.

A forensic team gathered samples from the scene, and witness accounts confirmed the involvement of the accused. All five juveniles, aged between 12 and 15, have been booked under the Prevention Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Police said they have confessed to the crime.

The madrasa has removed their names from its rolls and seized their birth certificates. The case has been placed before the Juvenile Justice Board for further proceedings.

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