Santosh Gurung, 12, staying in Multiplex Foundation, a children´s home run by one Sancha Maya Sherpa at Boudha of Kathmandu with donations collected from within the country and abroad, was found dead Thursday evening. According to Mingma Sherpa, daughter of Sanchmaya, also the treasurer of the home, Santosh had quarreled with his sister Jun Maya, 15, minutes before he committed suicide. [break]
"Santosh had brought along a pen and a ball from his school. We chastised him for stealing somebody else´s belongings. An infuriated Jun Maya slapped him. This minor incident quickly led him to his death," Mingma told Republica. "All children witnessed Santosh went into the toilet. And, he latched it up from inside. We promptly broke into the toilet, only to find him hanging."
Santosh was quickly rushed to Nepal Medical College (NMC), Jorpati. He, however, breathed his last on the way. His dead body has been kept for postmortem in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Maharajgunj. Santosh´s family members and relatives have refused to take his dead body back unless police fairly probes his death.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Govinda Ram Pariyar, in-charge of Metropolitan Police Circle (MPC) of Boudha, an investigation into his death is already on. "We can not conclude anything right now," Pariyar told Republica. "However, as things stand now, we see no reasons to not believe that he hanged himself."
Santosh, the son of Kumar Gurung, a resident of Hatiya village in Sankhuwasabha, had been living in the children home for three years. A driver by profession, Kumar had sent his son and daughter to Kathmandu, hoping that the home would provide better living and education to them. Kumar is yet to arrive in Kathmandu. Santosh was a sixth grader at a local school.
On the contrary to what the home operator and police say, Jun Kumari has given an opposite account of the incident. According to her, Sancha Maya, the home operator, thrashed her brother for allegedly stealing a SIM card. "Aani (as Sancha Maya is known) pinned my brother accusing him of stealing her SIM card," Jun Maya told Republica. "I could not see my brother being beaten up in front of my own eyes. I went upstairs, sobbing.
Shortly, I heard other children yelling. As I came down, I saw him lying on the floor. Aani was caressing his palms."
According to Phul Maya Gurung, a relative of the dead boy, Santosh had not tightened his fists as one who commits suicide does. "Aani claims that Santosh hanged himself with a neck-tie from a shower tap. But, neither was the shower tap lowered down nor was there any neck-tie," Phul Maya told Republica. "It is evidently clear that Santosh did not commit suicide. But police are refusing to carry out a fair investigation."
Jun Maya said that Mingma forced her into distorting the truth. "She forced me into telling the opposite," Jun Maya told Republica. "I complied with what Mingma said out of fear. However, as my relatives boosted my confidence, I dared to reveal the truth. But, all children are still fearful. They have been threatened to not tell the truth." At present, there are a total of 32 children in the children home.
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