Dhenkanal, April 26: Police arrested a youth on charge of impregnating a Class-VI girl of the residential Sevashram School at Sarakhia under Sadar block in this district, while the headmaster of the school has been suspended for suppressing the incident and aiding in abortion of the foetus Thursday.
The headmaster was identified as Shankarshan Behera and the accused youth was identified as Chandan Purty alias Baya, a married man, SP Santosh Kumar Nayak said. The accused raped the girl and impregnated her when he had been to his village during Dussehra festival last year.
The matter came to fore after the victim’s family members lodged a complaint with the Kankadahada police station Wednesday. A similar complaint was also lodged by the victim with the district welfare officer Manas Mishra against the headmaster for sexually abusing her, raping her and forcibly taking her outside the village and aborting her foetus.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident and already interrogated the headmaster and other teachers of the school regarding the shameful incident. Meanwhile, the district welfare department has also launched a simultaneous probe into the incident.
Police said the minor girl hailing from tribal dominated Kankadahada block in this district was admitted to this school and is studying in Class-VI. She resided in the school hostel. After learning about the incident in January, teachers of the school teachers questioned her on regarding her pregnancy.
They tried to cover up the incident and without informing her family member took her to a private nursing home at Panikoili in Jajpur and aborted her foetus. Later, she was sent back home after recovery. When contacted, the DWO said the headmaster has been suspended so that he may not influence the probe and witnesses. He assured that stern action will be taken against him if proved guilty.
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