A Class VIII student of the Greenbadi Residential School at Daringibadi delivered a premature baby girl in the bathroom of the hostel in the wee hours of Sunday. The girl was a victim of rape when she went back to her village during a vacation.
On being informed, the Headmistress of the SC and ST Development Department-run school reached the hostel and drove the girl with the newborn out from the back door in an apparent bid to suppress the incident. As the news spread in the area, the locals blocked the NH 59 demanding stern action against the Headmistress and Hostel Superintendent and arrest of the accused person. The Headmistress and hostel wardens were rescued from the hostel by the police.
The road blockade was withdrawn after the SDPO of Baliguda assured that appropriate action will be taken against the guilty. Kandhmal SP, Prateek Singh, said the 13-year-old girl and her baby were rescued from Sraniketa forest, 10 km from the hostel, in a critical condition and admitted to Sub-Divisional Hospital, Baliguda.
As their condition was deteriorating, they were shifted to MKCG Medical College, Berhampur. The SP said the girl got pregnant after she was raped by Sraban Pradhan (23) when she had gone to her village Tukulumaha under Daringibadi police station during vacation a few months back. The baby was delivered premature, Singh added. Sraban has been arrested from his village and a case registered at Daringibadi police station under POCSO Act on the basis of the complaint filed by the girl’s father.
Meanwhile, following the direction of Minister for SC and ST Development Ramesh Majhi to inquire into matter, Collector Brunda D suspended four employees of the school including Headmistress Radharani Delai, three assistant teachers-cum-hostel superintendents Naxatramala Sahu, Jyotsna Nayak and Asharani Mishra and disengaged five others including two matrons, two cook-cum-attendants and an ANM for negligence in duty. This is third such incident to have been reported from the school.
The Headmaster of the school Aditya Prasad Rath was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing the students in April last year. In 2006, headmaster Debaraj Sahu was also allegedly involved in a similar case. Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and suspension of Collector and District Welfare Officer of the district.
