Post News Network
Jeypore, Feb 8: The headmaster and assistant hostel superintendent of an Ashram School run by the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development department at Umuri were arrested by Sadar police Sunday after a Class VI girl of the school delivered a baby boy in the hostel Thursday night.
The Ashram school officials were booked under sections 34, 201, 202, 376 of Indian Penal Code and 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The police action came after a complaint was filed by Jeypore block welfare officer Annapurna Devi Saturday night. Devi along with another official had gone to the school and conducted an inquiry into the matter.
The district administration, meanwhile, suspended headmaster Kailash Chandra Brahma and hostel assistant superintendent Sabita Guru.
According to sources, the 13-year-old girl, who is studying in Class VI of the school, had complained of pain in her abdomen Wednesday. She informed the school authorities that she was unwell. However, the school authorities did not make any arrangement for providing treatment to her.
The girl, according to sources delivered a baby boy Thursday night. Thereafter, the school authorities instead of bringing the matter to the notice of administration, hired a car and sent the girl along with her baby to her house in Uparakanti village.
The headmaster, on the other hand, refuted the allegations that he had not informed the education department and welfare department officials about the matter.
He claimed the girl had informed the school officials about her pregnancy, Wednesday. “She has informed us in writing that one of her relatives had raped her while she was at her home during vacation. She has urged us to make arrangement for her treatment.’’
“We had informed the welfare department and education department officials about the incident. They had directed us to send the girl to her home. Accordingly, we contacted her family over phone Thursday. As we could not make any contact with her family, we hired a vehicle and sent her to her village,” Brahma said.
Police, meanwhile, have said they were investigating whether there was any rape by a minor boy or an adult. Sub-divisional police officer Rajendra Senpati supervising the investigation said the accused would be booked.
