Bihar: 17-year-old Boy, Detained in POCSO Case, Found Dead At Govt Observation Home’s Bathroom – News18

A 17-year-old boy, who was in detention at an observation home in alleged connection with a child sex abuse case, was found hanging in the facility’s bathroom in Bihar’s Aurangabad. Officials on Friday said that the boy was a native of Buxar 100km away and a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was filed against him.

Ten days back, a juvenile justice board had sent him to the government observation home. On Thursday, the boy was found hanging from a towel tied to a ventilation window of the bathroom in the government observation home, Hindustan Times reported, adding he was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

His body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause of death. However, the observation home officials have said in their statement that he died by suicide.

Hindustan Times quoted Aurangabad district magistrate Srikant Shastri as saying that a three-member panel has been formed to investigate the case and a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered. The post-mortem will be held in the presence of a magistrate-rank officer.

“After the dinner at the mess, the boy went to first floor bathroom and locked the door from inside and hanged himself,” Anita Kumari, Assistant director, child protection, at the government observation centre told HT.

The incident came to fore when he did not respond when other inmates noticed the bathroom door locked for a long time.

The Bihar State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (BSCPCR) has sought a report on this matter.

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