Nabarangpur: Eight students of Jujhari Sevashram under Borigumma block in Koraput district who had fled the school after being continually tortured by the ashram personnel, were Monday rescued near Daibhatta village on NH-26 in Nabarangpur district.
Two villagers Arjun Bhatra and Chandra Nayak rescued the children and later handed them over to the child welfare committee of Koraput district.
All the students were of Chercheta village and studying in Class I to III in the ashram school. They had to flee the hostel since they were being tortured by the son of a school peon who tutors them in the evening, the children alleged.
Meanwhile, Koraput district welfare officer (DWO) S Trinath Rao and child protection officer Rajashri Dash came to the school and probed the matter.
According to reports, Jujhari Sevashram School, with classes up to VII, has a student strength of about 100. However, none of the teaching staff stays back in the school at night. A peon of the school manages the affairs of the hostel at night and his son used to teach the students in the evening. However, he behaves rudely with the students and often beats them up due to which they fled the ashram, the students said.
After spotting the students on NH, Arjun and Chandra enquired about the incident and stopped them near Gadabaguda. “We also offered them food since the kids had no money and they were on their way to walk 30 km to reach their village,” Arjun said. Later, the two informed mediapersons. As the district child protection officer couldn’t reach the site, they informed the ChildLine officials who took the students to the district child welfare committee, Arjun added.
When contacted, DWO Rao said the allegations seem to be true and they have facilitated the return of the students to the hostel. PNN
