KISS student murder case: Bhubaneswar JMFC court rejects bail; additional CEO among 8 sent to Jharpada jail

In the latest series of developments in the murder case of a Class IX student at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), a Bhubaneswar JMFC court has rejected the bail applications of eight accused, including an Additional CEO of the institute, and remanded them to judicial custody.

Sources reported that following the bail denial, all eight accused were sent to Jharpada Jail.

The accused forwarded to judicial custody are KISS Additional CEO Pramod Kumar Patra, TGT teacher Binay Kumar Gochhi, senior academic coordinator Prasanna Kumar Malla, teacher Pradeep Kumar Das, KISS Secondary School headmaster Rashmiranjan Nayak, KISS hostel assistant field officer Hemant Kumar Mahapatra, KISS boys’ hostel supervisor Shubhakanta Behera, and assistant teacher Sujata Mishra.

Police have also detained three students and are continuing sustained interrogation to ascertain their exact role in the incident.

Court Remand After Bail Rejection

Sources informed that all eight accused were produced before the JMFC court in Bhubaneswar after their arrest on Wednesday evening in connection with alleged negligence and suppression of facts linked to the student’s death.

The court rejected their bail pleas, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the stage of the investigation, and ordered judicial custody. Following the court order, the accused were shifted to Jharpada Jail.

Police Confirm Murder, Concealment Alleged

Earlier yesterday, Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh confirmed that the Class IX student was murdered by his classmates and that the incident was deliberately concealed.

According to police findings, a group of students, referred to during the investigation as the ‘Joker gang’, strangled the victim following a minor dispute.

The post-mortem report confirmed death due to strangulation, with clear evidence of neck compression. The Commissioner said the conclusion was reached after a detailed probe and statements from other students.

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Police further revealed that minor students were allegedly threatened and pressured to remain silent about the murder. According to investigators, institute authorities, teachers, and staff exerted pressure on students to conceal the incident. Police stated that witness students have been provided protection.

Cases have been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 103(1), 238, 296, 232, 249(a), and 351(3), against those accused of involvement in the alleged cover-up and related offences. Separate cases have also been registered against three minors under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) for their alleged role in the crime.

As of the last reports, police said the investigation is ongoing and further facts will be placed before the court as the probe progresses.