Diya 
In Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district, an enigmatic tale of superstition and a gruesome murder unfolded that shook the very foundation of faith in educational institutions.
A Crime Beyond Understanding
On the night of September 22, 2024, an event that nobody will ever forget began at DL Public School in Rasgawan village, Uttar Pradesh, when 11-year-old Kritarth, one of the students residing in the hostel, was allegedly abducted and killed as an offering in a ritualistic sacrifice to bring prosperity to the school. The owner of the school, Jasodhan Singh, was a believer of black magic and committed the act with a subjective matter of bringing good luck and relieving all the problems that he experienced as much as helping to gain him a couple of points for the school.
Unveiling the Horror
It is said that Jasodhan Singh had also attempted a similar act, but it failed, and this time he decided to involve the school’s director Dinesh Baghel (his son), and three teachers, Ramprakash Solanki, Veerpal Singh, and Laxman Singh. After a plan was devised, Ramprakash Solanki allegedly took the boy from the bed in which he slept to carry out the sacrifice in a separate room. After the boy began to cry, Solanki killed him by strangling him. Veerpal and Laxman Singh were said to be present, monitoring the situation; however, after realizing immediately what happened, they all left without reporting the incident to the police.
A Desperate Cover-Up
In an attempt to conceal the crime, Dinesh Baghel allegedly placed the boy’s body in his car, claiming to take him to a hospital due to sudden illness. He got in touch with the boy’s father, Krishan Kushwaha, a software engineer in New Delhi, and informed him about his son. Suspecting foul play, Kushwaha and family members stopped Baghel’s car and found Kritarth’s lifeless body. They immediately contacted the police, who arrested five people.
The incident sent shockwaves through the local community. Parents and locals were outraged and in disbelief that such a heinous crime could occur in a school. The school’s reputation was shattered, and questions began surfacing on the security and supervision in schools like this one. It has become clear that schools are no longer safe places. It has become evident, as shown through the examples of this case, that we need to be alert about the dangers of blind faith and misuse of authority.
This horrible incident is not strange or unique. India has seen many examples of how superstition and black magic can lead to horrific crimes. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, between 2014 and 2021, there were 103 cases of human sacrifice. These are important numbers because they raise questions about the value of educating society and eliminating the danger of these beliefs.
The Hathras school horror serves as a grim reminder about the danger of blind faith and authority. The investigation is ongoing, but society needs to contemplate the real issues that permit things like this from ever happening again.
Stay tuned for Episode 2: “Unraveling the Web of Superstition,” where we delve deeper into the societal and psychological factors contributing to such heinous acts.
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