Babysana's death at hostel of Standard Robarth School Remand for son of school Principal

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 30: Pheiroijam Robinson, son of Standard Robarth Higher Secondary School Principal Pheiroijam Landhoni, and junior administrator of the said school, who was picked up in connection with the death of Ningthoujam Babysana inside the school hostel on July 18 was remanded to police custody for 7 days (till August 5) by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West today.
Pheiroijam Robinson (32) s/o Ph Ibohal of Canchipur, near Manipur University gate, was arrested yesterday by a team of Special Investigation Team constituted for investigating the mysterious death of Babysana.
Robinson was produced before the Court along with a prayer for remanding him in police custody and during the hearing, the Investigating Officer of the SIT submitted that the case was first registered as a UD case on July 18 and during the investigation, a regular FIR was registered by Singjamei PS on July 23 followed by the arrest of the head warden Kamei Illen and warden Nongmaithem Jinnty.
Due to public demand, Imphal West SP made a requisition to the Director, Medical and Health Services Manipur on July 25, for conducting a 2nd post mortem of the body and subsequently Imphal East DC passed an order for conducting the post mortem examination at JNIMS.
The 2nd post mortem was conducted the next day, July 26, in the presence of the Duty Magistrate with full video coverage and afterwards the body was kept at JNIMS morgue as the family members refused to claim the body, the IO explained.
The IO continued that yesterday, a letter was received by the SP of Imphal West from the father of the victim claiming that he found injury marks on the body of his daughter and both her legs were partly muddy as well.
Mentioning that the circumstances leading to the death of his daughter were quite suspicious and that he suspected his daughter was murdered by some individuals who are also associated with the school authority, the father of the victim requested to incorporate section 302 IPC (murder) in the present case and subsequently, section 302 was added to the present case, the IO said.
Informing that the founder cum Principal of the school, Pheiroijam Landhoni and the school administrator Pheiroijam Romita, are under interim bail, the IO submitted an order of the SP of Imphal West, wherein an SIT headed by Additional SP (Operations) Imphal West was constituted on July 25 and subsequently the investigation of the case has been conducted by the SIT.
During investigation, it was ascertained that the students of Standard Robarth Higher Secondary School are under the actual charge and control of Pheiroijam Robinson, who is the junior administrator and he also performed most of the school related works on behalf of his mother.
The IO submitted that as most of the students are assaulted, abused and wilfully neglected thereby causing unnecessary mental suffering among the students, Robinson has committed the offence punishable under section 75 of JJ Act (Punishment for cruelty to a child).
As assault, abuse and wilful neglect of the residential students were carried out by some of the wardens and other school authorities under the actual charge and direct control of the junior administrator, there is suspicion regarding Robinson's involvement in “abetting the suicide” of Ningthoujam Babysana or any other crime falling under section 302 IPC (murder) which is now under investigation, the IO informed, praying for seven days police remand of the junior administrator so as to conduct detailed interrogation and  investigation.
The Court after hearing the submission and going through the case records and prosecution as well as considering the sensitivity of the case, remanded Pheiroijam Robinson to police custody till August 5.
The Court also directed the IO to carry out medical examination of Robinson after every 48 hours as it was claimed that he was suffering from hypertension.