A birthday cake; blessings from elders; presents from friends; and plenty of fun with siblings - that is how Binay Mahto would have turned 13 on Sunday, June 12, 2016.

So what if the jolly good student of Sapphire International School is no more, his ancestral village of Chandaghasi, 14kmfrom Ranchi, ensured that Binay remained alive in their memories by celebrating the day with prayers for his departed soul and charity.

Parents Manbahal Mahto and Kashila Devi, who have been fighting a prolonged battle for justice since their eldest son was murdered on school campus on February 5, woke up at 3.50am - the happy moment 13 years ago when Binay was born.

They went to Pahari Mandir, 16kmfrom Chandaghasi, to offer prayers. Back home, the stage was set for another puja attended by relatives and well-wishers who paid floral tributes to the boy. Food and clothes were later distributed among the poor.

"Oh, how excited Binay would be before every birthday!" Kashila Devi told this correspondent over phone, her voiced choked with emotions.

The family wanted to celebrate the day away from media glare and declined being photographed. Binay's parents agreed to speak to this paper after earnest requests.

"Binay would hardly sleep the night before his birthday. Early in the morning, he would knock on every neighbour's door and call up relatives, demanding that they wish him. He would pester us for gifts and sweets, like any pampered child..." the bereaved mother paused.

After a moment of silence, she added, "This time, we only have flowers and tears to offer him. It is so hard to forget all that happened..."

Father Manbahal, fighting a tough legal battle against the accused - a Sapphire teacher and her family - as well as a "negligent and indifferent" school management, still believes police are not doing enough to crack the case and that the "real culprits" are somewhere out there.

"The authorities (read police, school) are maligning my son by fabricating stories about how he was killed for his boyhood crush. We are celebrating his birthday with floral tributes, but he will receive the tribute he deserves when the real culprits are arrested and punished," Manbahal told this correspondent.

"Children pay tributes to dead parents; I am one unlucky dad who is garlanding my boy who did not live to celebrate his thirteenth birthday," the doting father added.

Binay's younger brothers Vivek (10) and Vipul (8) sorely missed all the birthday fun with their bhaiyya, and were not allowed to speak to the media.

Neighbours came in droves on Sunday to express their solidarity with the family.

"Binay is no more, but we cherish the days we spent with him. He was such a cheerful kid. We pray to god for the peace of his soul. May parents never suffer the trauma of losing their beloved child. Manbahal is my next door neighbour and it is hard to watch the family go through so much pain," said Manoj Mahto, a resident of Chandaghasi.