NHRC notice to Odisha govt on torture of tribal girls students

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 27:

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Odisha government to file a counter in four weeks on the alleged physical and mental torture of minor tribal girl students by the headmaster of Kudidihi Government Girls’ High School, a residential school run by the ST and SC Development department in Mayurbhanj district.

The directive of the Commission came in response to a petition filed by lawyer and social activist Prabir Kumar Das.

The petitioner had alleged that 39 panicky girl students left their school in the night on July 15 and reached the district headquarters at Baripada the next day where they met the district collector and expressed their grievances.

The collector later made arrangements for the safe return of these girls students to the school.

However, the district administration had not taken any action till date against the complaints lodged by these students of the residential school, Das said, and urged the Commission to direct the state government to initiate a high level inquiry into the case and take stringent action against the concerned headmaster.

The Commission later directed the secretary, SC and SC Development to furnish a reply in this connection within four weeks.