Sundargarh: Drapati Sahu, the headmistress of Shihidia Primary School, a residential school for tribal students in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, was suspended on Wednesday for dereliction of duty. Time and again students of this residential school have fled accusing the high-handedness of the management.
While three students had escaped from their hostel about a month ago, 15 students fled the hostel alleging atrocities by the warden on Tuesday night.
The police have rescued all the 15 boys, all in the age group of 7-10 years, on Wednesday morning. A night patrol team spotted the students who were attempting to reach their village, Balan, and taken to Barkot police station in Deogarh district.
According to police, the school authorities launched a search for the missing students on realising that they had left their hostel. To avoid being noticed, the boys walked through paddy fields and surfaced near Aamgaon.
By this time, Barkot police had already taken them into safe custody. On being informed about the rescue of the students, Barkot IIC was asked her to keep them safe until the Mahulpada along with school staff arrived and took the boys back to the hostel.
Upon interacting with the students, police learned that one of the boys had been scolded by the hostel warden for mischief. Upset over the reprimand, the boy rallied a group of friends and convinced them to escape back to their village. The students told the Barkot IIC that they found the warden too strict and often scolding them, which made them want to leave the school.
The assistant Block Education Officer (BEO) Sunil Kumar reached the school and convened a parent-teacher meeting. He issued an order suspending the headmistress for an indefinite period for negligence of duty.
