Rayagada: The Rayagada district administration has ordered an inquiry into allegations of ragging and physical abuse of junior students at a residential school in the Penta area of the district after a purported video of the incident went viral on social media.
Rayagada District Welfare Officer (DWO) Ashima Rao on Monday said the allegations would be verified and appropriate action would be taken after receiving a detailed report from the concerned officials.
“Since we have not yet verified the facts, I cannot comment on the allegations at this stage. I have convened a meeting of all the Assistant District Welfare Officers (ADWOs) at 9.30 am today. I have already informed my higher authorities about the incidents and sought guidance on what action should be taken,” Rao said.
She said the administration would ascertain the facts before drawing any conclusion on the allegations.
“The ADWOs have told me that there is no truth in the allegations. However, we will be able to comment accurately only after receiving the reports,” Rao said.
The development comes after a video purportedly showing a Class VI student speaking about alleged harassment at the residential school surfaced on social media. In the video, the student is seen crying while narrating the alleged incidents.
According to the allegations made in the video, a Class X student physically assaulted junior students and allegedly forced them to perform various tasks. The student also alleged that juniors were made to wash clothes.
More seriously, the student claimed that senior students forced juniors to remove their pants. The identity of the person who recorded the video has not been ascertained.
The administration is also trying to determine when the alleged incidents took place and whether they were isolated or part of a recurring pattern.
Rao said the authorities were also verifying the circumstances behind the viral video.
“When such videos are made and circulated on social media, the concerned authorities may not always be aware of them. There are BDOs, ADWOs, sub-collectors and other officials at the block and district levels, but no one had informed them about such incidents,” she said.
The DWO also raised doubts over the repeated allegations concerning schools but said it was too early to draw any conclusion without verifying the facts.
“Since people are repeatedly entering schools and claiming that such incidents are taking place, I suspect there may be some ulterior motive. However, I cannot say anything conclusively at this stage,” Rao said.
She added that the administration would provide details after receiving reports from the officials concerned.
