Rourkela: Fifteen boys, in the age group of 7-10, who had escaped from their hostel at Sihidia Primary School under Mahulpada police station in Bonai sub-division, were rescued by an alert police team Tuesday night. The students were attempting to reach their village, Balan, when they were spotted near Aamgaon by a night patrol team and taken to Barkot police station.
According to Mahulpada inspector-in-charge (IIC) Suresh Chandra Pradhan, “The school authorities immediately launched a search for the missing students upon realising they had left the hostel. To avoid being noticed, the boys walked through paddy fields and surfaced near Aamgaon.”
Meanwhile, Barkot police in Deogarh district had already taken them into safe custody. “After receiving information in the morning, I contacted Barkot IIC Jajnyaseni Pradhan and asked her to keep the students safe until we arrived,” he added. Mahulpada police, along with school staff, later brought the boys back to the hostel. Upon interacting with the students, IIC Pradhan 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.
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“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,” he said. In response to the incident, the assistant Block Education Officer (BEO) arrived at the school in the morning and immediately convened a parent-teacher meeting, which was ongoing at the time of reporting.
The warden, appointed by the welfare extension officer on the recommendation of the local committee and school authorities, had previously been warned for being overly strict with the students.
PNN
