Badasahi: A Dalit Class IV boy was reportedly confined in a school hostel room from 4am to 1pm by his headmistress and assaulted before he was rescued by his parents at Badasahi in Mayurbhanj district.
The boy’s family members approached the school authorities and demanded action against the headmistress Saswati Das Mahapatra.
Prahalad Behera, son of Sushil Kumar Behera from Singhatia village, studies at Belpal-based Saraswati Sishu Mandir and is an inmate of the hostel.
Saswati allegedly inflicted torture on Prahalad and separated him from other boys at the hostel. She also reportedly gave him less food and threatened the boy when he asked for more.
The boy narrated his ordeal to his mother Subarna Behera when she visited him. He said the headmistress used to beat him even for small mistakes. Subarna asked Saswati about the incident. Furious over Prahalad’s allegations, Saswati reportedly took the boy away from the hostel late in the night to a riverside with an intention to assault him. However, her plans failed when some workers at a brick-kiln saw them. She immediately returned to the hostel with the boy. On being informed, his family members reached the hostel and understood that the boy was in Saswati’s custody since last night. Later they found the boy in a closed room and rescued him. Prahalad had injuries on his back, leg and hands. Saswati reportedly whipped the boy with five canes together. At least 25 cane injuries were seen in his body, sources said.
Saswati allegedly threatened the boy to confess that he was not abducted by anyone. A case will be registered after a probe, IIC Pascal Ekka said. Necessary action will be taken against the school authorities if the incident is found true, Block education officer Badrinarayan Dutt said. PNN
