Schoolboy murdered, friend held as police investigate Sukna tea garden death
Telegraph | 11 February 2026
The body of a minor boy was recovered from a tea garden in Sukna near here on late Monday night, triggering protests in the Matigara block of the Siliguri subdivision.
Subhajit Modak, 15, a resident of the Simultala area under the jurisdiction of the Matigara police station, had been missing since Saturday evening.
Police suspect that the boy had been strangled to death. One of his acquaintances, also a minor, has been arrested, while a search is on for another suspect.
“After recovering the body, we have arrested a minor. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest another person. The body has been handed over to the family after necessary procedures,” said Rakesh Singh, the deputy commissioner (east) of the Siliguri Metropolitan Police.
According to police sources, Subhajit was a Class X student at a local school.
A few months ago, he reportedly had a dispute with one of his friends. Although the issue appeared to have been resolved after initial arguments, the police believe the rivalry continued.
On Saturday evening, Subhajit’s friend visited his residence and took him out for a casual outing.
However, as the boy did not return home late at night, the family members and neighbours went to the friend’s house to inquire, but he denied any knowledge of Subhajit’s whereabouts.
Soon after, the matter was reported to the police. On Monday, a section of local people staged a demonstration in front of the Matigara police station, demanding swift action. Later at night, the police recovered Subhajit’s body from Sukna.
The police detained the friend, who is also a minor, who had taken Subhajit out of his home. Later, he was arrested.
The residents of Simultala staged protests on Tuesday, demanding exemplary punishment for those involved in the murder.
Later in the day, Shankar Malakar, a former MLA of Matigara–Naxalbari and a Trinamool Congress leader, visited the area and met the bereaved family.