Nabarangpur: A fresh twist has emerged in the alleged misbehaviour case involving a Class 7 girl in Rauliguda village under Papadahandi block of Odisha's Nabarangpur district, as the villagers today locked the Rauliguda Upper Primary School, demanding the expulsion of the girl and withdrawal of the police case.

According to reports, the school has 157 students from pre-primary to Class 8 and is run by four teachers. On September 11, the girl had reportedly left school after informing her teacher due to her menstrual cycle. While returning home, she went to the village pond for personal needs.

As per the FIR, a villager, Rupendra Jani, allegedly in an inebriated state, caught hold of her left hand and tried to drag her towards a cashew plantation. The girl raised an alarm, and with the help of a local woman, she was rescued. The matter was later reported to the Dabugaon police, leading to the registration of a case.

Following the complaint, a village meeting was held, but no resolution was reached. Subsequently, the girl’s family approached the police. However, villagers alleged that the complaint was false and that the youth had been unfairly implicated.

Today, the angry villagers locked the school premises, demanding that the girl be expelled immediately and the case against Rupendra Jani withdrawn. They argued that such false allegations could endanger other youths in the village.

As a result, only 23 students who had arrived for classes had to return home after the school was locked.

Police were yet to comment on the villagers’ action, while tension prevailed in the area.