Rourkela: A 13-year-old student of a residential school for tribals in Kuanrmunda, Sundargarh district was found dead on campus on Tuesday afternoon. The victim, a student of Class 8, was found hanging in an unused room near the hostel's dining hall. The incident has sparked protests by hundreds of guardians who demanded the principal's arrest and better safety measures for students. The protesters sat outside the school gate on Tuesday afternoon for hours and on Wednesday, they returned to the campus with the student's body and placed it in front of the gate. They have refused to allow the authorities to remove the body until their demands are met.
Senior officials, including SDPO S Das and the project administrator of Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Paramananda Prusty, are engaged in talks with the protesters to resolve the situation.
Local police have registered an unnatural death case and launched an investigation. The body was sent for a post-mortem at Rourkela Government Hospital and later handed over to the family before it was taken to the school premises by the protesters.
The victim was identified as Mukesh Minz. His father, Binod Minz, a daily wage labourer, has filed an FIR, alleging murder. District welfare officer Pabitra Mohan Pradhan, who is investigating the incident, said, "Initial evidence suggests suicide. A thorough investigation is underway to determine the exact cause." He has promised strict action against anyone found responsible for the student's death following the completion of the investigation.
Pradhan has also provided written assurances to the family regarding compensation and employment opportunities for one of the parents as a Class IV employee.
The tribal residential school, operating under the ministry of tribal welfare, houses 420 students from Classes 6 to 12.
This incident follows a similar tragedy from January when a Class 7 student died by suicide at another SC&ST department-run hostel in Rourkela.