A Class IX student of Netaji English Medium School, Semiliguda in Odisha who had gone missing on Sunday after being allegedly humiliated by the principal, was rescued by the local police on Tuesday.

The victim had been frequently talking to a girl student of the school and it was brought to the notice of principal Pradyumna Dash. The principal apprised the boy’s parents of the matter and the latter asked him to take appropriate steps to discipline their son.

In order to warn the student, Pradyumna cut his hair with the help of a teacher at his office in front of other students on January 31. The principal said he did not intend to torture or humiliate the boy. Since the victim’s hair was cut haphazardly, his parents got his head tonsured at Simanchalam.
The matter remained under wraps until the boy fled his home on the day.

The boy’s aunt Tapaswini Patnaik filed an FIR with Sunabeda police alleging her nephew fled from home as he was tortured by Pradyumna. She said cutting a student’s hair forcibly is against the norms and demanded a probe into the matter.

The principal denied the charge and said the case against him is fabricated. Meanwhile, Sunabeda SDPO Niranjan Behera said a case has been registered against the principal and the matter is being investigated. But the police let him go after preliminary investigation.