Motherhood in Odisha school: Prime accused arrested

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
G Udaygiri, Feb 8:

Police havearrested the prime accused in the case pertaining to a class X student of Lingagad Girls’ High School under G Udaygiri block in Odisha’s Kandhamal district delivering a baby boy in the school’s hostel.

The prime accused, identified as Tuna Pradhan after being arrested by the police, was produced in the local court here yesterday and has been sent to judicial custody after he was denied bail by the court.

Tuna who was absconding since the matter came to light after the minor delivered the child. He  was arrested after police raided Kendugudari village under Tikabali police limits on Friday night after tracking his mobile phone number.

Tuna is learnt to be a cousin of the victim. He and his father Trinath Pradhan had met the mother and child at the Phulbani hospital and since then he was absconding.

Tuna has confessed before the police that the victim had visited their home during her summer vacations last year and had stayed with them for five days and taking advantage of the situation he had developed physical relations with the victim, police said.

Tuna has been charged under sections 376 of the IPC and 4 of the POCSO Act.

It may be recalled here that district administration had suspended headmistress Ashalata Pati , dismissed two assistant teachers (contractual) in-charge of the girl’s hostel and an auxiliary nurse mid-wife (ANM) of Lingagad Girls’ High School after the incident of the girl giving birth to a baby boy in the school on December 23 came to the fore.

The Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) and Odisha State Child Protection and Child Rights (OSCPCR) have already conducted their inquiries into the incident. The district child welfare committee and the local MLA have also conducted inquiries into the incident.