Bhubaneswar: Family members of Class V student Bijay Mallick, along with local villagers, on Saturday locked Belpada Primary School in Gania block of Nayagarh district, demanding immediate action following the child’s tragic death. The school has remained closed for nearly a month, disrupting academic activities.
According to reports, the student’s family and local residents had initially closed the school to press for accountability and appropriate action from authorities. When district officials attempted to reopen the school, the District Collector reportedly visited the premises to unlock the gates and resume classes. However, the move was opposed by the student’s family and several villagers, forcing officials to leave without reopening the school.
Agitated villagers from Belpada staged a protest near the Gania police station and blocked the Kantilo–Daspalla road, disrupting local traffic. Police teams were rushed to the spot and deployed sufficient personnel to prevent the situation from escalating further.
On February 3, in the afternoon, Bijay left the school after having his mid-day meal around 1 pm to relieve himself but did not return home. When he failed to return, villagers joined the search and filed a missing person complaint at Gania Police Station. On February 4, the student’s body was found in an open well near the village.
