The Rajapeta police in the district on Thursday found the remains of a Class 9 boy, who was cremated by the family at their agriculture field, hours after he was found hanging there on Wednesday evening. Parents allege that the boy committed suicide after he was insulted by the school attender for jumping the queue while the mid-day meal was being served.
However, the hurried cremation, and not bringing the boy’s body home has sparked suspicion among Raghunadhapuram villagers, who informed the police the next morning.
Meesa Venkatesh, studying in the ZPHS Raghunadhapuram in Rajapeta mandal in the district, and the school attender Nazeer allegedly thrashed and insulted the boy in front of everyone, the parents claimed.
According to the police, the boy had returned home by 4.30 p.m., and went to the fields to meet his mother Kanakamma, who was grazing sheep. However, the boy stayed back and did not return even after the mother went home.
Ganesh, his younger brother, who was sent to call Venkatesh home around 6.30 p.m. found him hanging from the tree. Curiously, people of the village were not informed of the boy’s death and the cremation was completed within hours, the police said.
The school headmaster Bal Reddy rejected the parents’ version that Venkatesh was insulted. “He was only chided, but not thrashed or insulted,” he said.
The Rajapet police, who recorded the statements of the parents and school staff, said an inquiry was taken up and funeral remains of the victim were collected and sent for forensic tests.
