Student’s Hostel Death in Saptari Sparks Suspicion, Family Demands Probe

The death of a 14-year-old boy staying in a school hostel has been described as “suspicious” by his family, who are demanding a thorough investigation.

Dharmendra Kumar Sah, a Class 7 student residing in the hostel of Phuleshwar Public English Boarding School in Khadak Municipality–7, Saptari, was found dead on Saturday afternoon. School authorities have claimed that the boy died by suicide, but his relatives have raised serious concerns, alleging delays in informing the family and possible attempts to conceal the incident.

According to his mother, Mamata Sah of Khadak–9, Lalpatti, she had enrolled her son at the school seven years ago, where he had been living in the hostel while continuing his studies. She said she first received a call around 10 a.m. on Saturday from school operator Shobha Chaudhary, who complained that her son had been using a mobile phone—something not allowed for students—and asked her to come to the school after confiscating the device.

However, about an hour later, Mamata received another call—this time from Dhirendra, Shobha’s husband—using the phone of a school guard, informing her that her son had already died and asking her to come to Dwarika Hospital. “When I reached the hospital, I was told that my son had been found hanging in the hostel,” she said. She alleged that the school took the boy to the hospital without informing the family or the police in time, raising suspicions of a cover-up.

Mamata also claimed that when she tried calling the school again shortly after the first call, she could not reach them. She then contacted a kitchen worker at the hostel, who initially told her that Dharmendra was still within the hostel premises. “But later, I was informed that he had already died,” she said, expressing concern over conflicting information and delays in communication.

The boy’s uncle, Dilip Prasad Sah, added to the suspicion by claiming that CCTV cameras at the hostel had been switched off since around 9:30 a.m. on the day of the incident. “At first, they said the cameras were off due to a power issue, but it appears they were deliberately turned off before the incident,” he said. He also questioned the possibility of suicide, stating that the place where the boy was allegedly found hanging was too high for him to reach on his own.

According to reports, Shobha Chaudhary and her husband Dhirendra cut the rope and rushed the boy to the hospital before informing the family and the police. A postmortem examination has been conducted at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, but the report is still pending, delaying the formal registration of a case.

Inspector Sanjiv Bogati of the Area Police Office, Kalyanpur, said that preliminary questioning has been carried out with those suspected by the family. “We will proceed with the investigation based on the postmortem report and take action as per the law,” he stated.

Meanwhile, school operator Shobha Chaudhary has denied all allegations, maintaining that the boy died by suicide. Her husband Dhirendra said the student had locked himself inside a room and was found hanging. “We were not present at the time. After being informed by other students, we broke open the door, cut him down, and rushed him to the hospital for treatment,” he said, adding that the boy was declared dead upon arrival, which deeply saddened them as well.