A special CBI court in Ranchi on Friday heard a protest petition filed by the father of deceased school student Vinay Mahto, challenging the closure report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case.
During the hearing, advocate Khushboo Kataruka, appearing for the petitioner, questioned the findings of the CBI and opposed the agency’s conclusion that the death was accidental. The court heard partial arguments and posted the matter for further hearing next week.
Background of the case
The case relates to the death of 12-year-old Vinay Mahto, a Class 7 student of Sapphire International School. Vinay was found dead inside the school hostel premises on the night of February 4-5, 2016. His body was discovered near the corridor of the teachers’ staff quarters on the campus along Ranchi-Khunti Road.
Initially, Ranchi police treated the case as an “honour killing.” According to the police theory, Vinay had developed an interest in the daughter of a Hindi teacher, Naseeya Hussain. The police alleged that the teacher’s son, a Class 11 student, attacked Vinay and later threw him from the first floor.
Based on that investigation, four people were arrested: Naseeya Hussain, her husband Mohammad Arif, and their two minor children.
Later developments
In July 2018, the Juvenile Justice Board acquitted both minors due to lack of evidence. Subsequently, a district court ordered a fresh hearing.
Vinay’s father later alleged serious lapses in the original police investigation, including destruction of forensic evidence. Acting on his petition, the Jharkhand High Court transferred the case to the CBI in July 2022.
CBI closure report and protest petition
Last month, the CBI filed a closure report stating that Vinay’s death was an accident and rejecting the murder and criminal conspiracy angles.
Unhappy with those findings, Vinay’s father, Manbahal Mahto, filed the present protest petition, which is now under consideration by the special CBI court.