Student becomes pregnant, sent back home by school in Odisha's Malkangiri

MALKANGIRI: A Class 10 student of Eklavya Model Residential School at Champanagar in Malkangiri has been found pregnant, much to the shock of the local administration as well as the girl’s family. The whole issue has snowballed into controversy while the school authorities and family members of the minor trade charges but the manner in which the case was handled by the educational institution’s management has come as a shocker because there exists a set of guidelines for such incidents. The girl, a minor, is now in Bala Swadhar Greh. An inquiry into the incident is expected shortly.

Sources said, some staff of the school had gone to the student’s house at Sanuliguda village on July 12 and asked her father to come to Champanagar. The family was told their daughter was serious. On reaching the school, the staff called the girl and the family members were told that she was in a relationship with a boy and now six months pregnant.

They allegedly asked the family members to sign on a piece of paper but the girl’s father refused and returned to the village. The school authority again called the family members the next day and asked them to sign on a paper after which the girl was sent back home, the kin said.

On reaching home, she was taken to the district headquarters hospital on July 30 with help of ASHA and anganwadi workers. She also lodged a complaint with Malkangiri Model Police station with the help of Childline. The family members blamed the school management stating that a boy used to visit her in the school and had developed a physical relationship with her. They said nothing had happened while she had come to the village during vacation.

Locals also questioned how the school authorities were ignorant about the girl’s pregnancy and sent her back to her village without informing police and senior officials. Malkangiri Model Police station IIC Rigan Kindo claimed the girl became pregnant after she had gone to her village during vacation.

Meanwhile, Hariar Bhumia of Nayakguda village, a college student, has been arrested in this connection, the police officer said adding Bhumia had developed a relationship with the girl while she was in her village.
Contacted, ITDA Project Administrator Trinath Majhi said an inquiry into the incident will be duly carried out.