In a new development in the mysterious death of Class VIII student Srikanth Mondal from Malda, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered a second autopsy to be conducted at AIIMS Kalyani. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh issued the directive nearly two weeks after the 13-year-old’s body was found hanging inside a private school hostel room under suspicious circumstances and has since been preserved at home in a freezer by his family.
The court was informed by AIIMS authorities that the necessary infrastructure for the autopsy is ready. However, they clarified that AIIMS would not provide an autopsy surgeon from its own panel. The court noted that there would be no hindrance to the process once the body was brought to Kalyani.
Since Srikanth's family has agreed to bear the transportation cost, the High Court permitted the investigating officer of Manikchak police station to arrange for the transfer by Thursday afternoon. To maintain transparency, the court ordered that the entire procedure be videographed and barred both the investigating officer and family members from being present during the post-mortem.
The court further instructed that if the findings of the second autopsy differ from those of the first, the investigating officer must be informed immediately. It also granted the family the right to file a fresh petition to demand further action, including a possible transfer of the investigation.
Also read: Six days with son’s body at home, WB’s family seeks fresh autopsy
Srikanth’s body was found hanging on the night of July 2 inside the Rosemary Missionary School hostel in Manikchak. While the school authorities claimed it was a suicide, the boy’s father, Premkumar Mandal, alleged foul play and expressed serious doubts about the initial autopsy conducted at Malda Medical College Hospital on July 3.
Srikanth, a resident of Kedartola village in Hiranandpur panchayat, was reportedly staying with nearly 40 other students in the same hostel room when the incident occurred. His family questions how such a tragedy could take place without anyone noticing or intervening. They firmly deny the possibility of suicide and instead accuse a hostel teacher of repeated physical and mental abuse. Srikanth’s father, a labourer working in Delhi, said, “My son cannot take his own life. There are clear signs that my child was tortured. We will not cremate him until we know the truth.”
In protest, the grieving family has preserved Srikanth’s body in a freezer for over two weeks. A formal complaint has been lodged at the Manikchak police station, naming the hostel teacher as a suspect. The family alleges that the teacher regularly harassed the boy and may be responsible for his death. “If this was suicide, then how do you explain the multiple injury marks on his body?” asked a family member, adding, “We want the court to intervene and ensure that justice is served.”
The case has triggered outrage in the local community, with villagers and child rights activists demanding a thorough and impartial probe. A senior district administrative official confirmed that an investigation is underway and said, “If the family moves court, the administration will follow the High Court’s directions.”
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