Bhubaneswar: A former headmaster of a high school in Lephripada of Sundergarh district was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 70,000 in connection with the death of a class-X girl of the school.
A special POCSO court in Sundergarh also directed the former headmaster, Shyamsundar Patel to undergo seven months more jail term in default of payment of fine.
The court pronounced the verdict based on the police final report and other evidence.
Patel, the then headmaster of Patuadihi Panchayat high school in Lephripada, had attempted to abuse the girl student sexually. In a bid to save herself, the girl had run away on the roof of the hostel and fell down accidentally. She suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.
The incident had taken place on April 1, 2022 when all the students were immersed in Utkal Divas celebration. The girl, a resident of Bhalugada under Dharuadihi police limits in the district, was staying in the school hostel. The headmaster also resided in the ground floor of the same building.
The headmaster had not informed the matter to police even after two days of the incident in a bid to cover up the incident.
Later, the Lephripada police got information from reliable sources and rushed to the school. Police had launched an investigation and arrested the erring teacher two after the incident.
