Keonjhar: Confusion erupted after two conflicting medical reports regarding the pregnancy of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, prompting a police investigation, a source said Saturday.
The girl, a Class-VI student at a government-run high school in Champua, underwent a routine health check-up February 25 after returning from Makar Sankranti holidays. During the examination, an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) noticed that she and two other students had missed their menstrual cycles. The matter was reported to the school headmaster, who arranged for pregnancy tests at the district headquarters hospital. One of the girls initially tested positive.
Following the test result, department officials visited the school and instructed the headmaster to file a complaint with the police. A written complaint was lodged at Champua police station Friday evening.
However, confusion arose when further medical tests conducted during the police investigation found the girl was not pregnant. The contradictory reports caused widespread concern, as the initial positive result had already triggered legal action and public discussion.
Madan Mahanta, the acting headmaster, acknowledged the mix-up, stating, “Everything will be clear after the police investigation.” District Welfare Officer Prabir Kumar Deo dismissed the pregnancy allegations, saying, “There is no truth to such claims.”
Inspector-in-charge of Champua police station Devaki Nayak confirmed the ongoing probe. “A case was registered, but the subsequent medical examination came back negative. The truth will emerge once the inquiry is complete,” she said.
Authorities are now investigating how the initial test produced a false positive and whether corrective measures are needed at the district hospital.
In recent days, Odisha has witnessed a surge in cases of minor pregnancies, raising serious concerns about child safety and exploitation. Just days before the Keonjhar incident, a similar case was reported in Jajpur’s Bari area where a Class-X student gave birth to a baby girl February 26.
Earlier on February 24, a 15-year-old Class-X student had delivered a baby girl on the hostel rooftop of a ST & SC Development department-run residential girls’ high school at Chitrakonda area in Malkangiri district.
PNN
