Days after a Class 7 student was found dead at the Sainik School near Ruksin in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, disturbing allegations of ragging and torture have surfaced. The deceased boy’s sister, Miss Arunachal 2024 Tadu Lunia, has accused senior students of bullying and torturing her 12-year-old brother, leading to his tragic death.
In a video message released on social media, Lunia said the family was informed by the school authorities on November 1 that her brother had gone missing during his morning PT session. Later, his body was found a few hundred meters away from the school premises. According to initial reports, the boy allegedly died by suicide after jumping off an overhead water tank.
However, Lunia has now alleged that the circumstances surrounding his death point to severe physical and mental harassment. “When our family went to collect his belongings, his classmates and dormmates informed us that on the night of October 31, a group of 11 senior students — eight from Class 10 and three from Class 8 — entered the Class 7 dormitory and began ragging everyone there,” she said.
She further claimed that while other juniors were told to cover their heads with blankets, her brother was taken alone to the Class 10 dormitory. “We don’t know what happened behind closed doors. His dormmates said he was denied sleep and mentally and physically tortured. Some even said he was forced to write that he was a thief because he had taken some books without permission,” Lunia alleged.
According to her, the investigation officer later showed the family a CCTV clip in which the boy appeared visibly distressed and restless early the next morning. “He was seen walking up and down anxiously, and then entering a classroom to write a note. His last words were—‘Seniors tortured me a lot. I don’t know what I will do now,’” Lunia said.
She also expressed anguish that her public identity as Miss Arunachal might have made her brother a target. “I never thought my name could become a burden in the final hours of his life,” she said tearfully.
The grieving sister further raised concerns about the delay in the post-mortem report and the slow progress of the investigation. “We know the names of those involved. But I fear external interference may affect justice,” she warned, appealing to the public for support so that “no other family suffers the same fate.”
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Police confirmed that eight students have been detained in connection with the case. They were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Pasighat on Tuesday. The board, led by the Principal Magistrate, has remanded them to the custody of the school’s vice-principal for seven days. Their guardians have been directed to provide undertakings under the Juvenile Justice Rules.
Police also clarified that the case, which was initially registered at Ruksin Police Station under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was later upgraded after the victim’s father filed an additional FIR on November 3, alleging ragging by senior students.
Authorities have assured that the investigation will be carried out “fairly and thoroughly” to determine the full circumstances that led to the young cadet’s death. “We are committed to ensuring a fair and logical conclusion to the case,” an officer said.
The tragic incident has sparked widespread outrage across Arunachal Pradesh, with several citizens and child rights groups demanding accountability from both the school management and the Education Department. Many have called for stronger anti-ragging measures and counseling mechanisms in residential institutions to prevent such tragedies in the future.
