Childbirth in Odisha school: Headmaster, hostel superintendent arrested

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jeypore, Feb 8:

Police today arrested the headmaster and the hostel superintendent of a sevashram (residential) school in Odisha’s Koraput district in connection with a class VI student of the school delivering a baby.

Based on a complaint lodged by the Welfare Extension Officer, Jeypore Block that a class VI student of a sevashram school in Umuri village under Jeypore block had delivered a baby in the school hostel, Jeypoer Sadar police today visited the school. After conducting investigations in the matter, they arrested the headmaster Kailash Chandra Brahma and the hostel superintendent of the school Sabita Guru on charges of negligence.

“After receiving information on this incident, a case has been registered at the Jeypore Sadar police station (case No. 39) under section 376 IPC and different sections of POCSO. The investigation process is on. The headmaster was today arrested at 11 AM for negligence and trying to cover up the incident. The assistant superintendent of the girls’ hostel of the school was also arrested today along with the headmaster,” said Rajendra Senapati, SDPO Jeypore.

The district administration has already suspended the two from service.

“The moment we received the news, we immediately conducted an inquiry into the incident by the Project Administrator, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Jeypore.  On the basis of his report, we immediately suspended the hostel superintendent Sabita Guru and headmaster Kailash Chandra Brahma yesterday. Since this is a sensitive matter, we are planning a sensitization programme for the teachers and other stake holders,” said Jamini Sarangi, collector Koraput.

This is the second incident in the recent past wherein minor girls studying in sevashram schools in tribal districts of Odisha are delivering babies.