Protest Over Student's Death At School In Odisha's Koraput

Koraput: A day after a Class III student died and two others sustained injuries after an information board at their residential school in Dhamanahandi panchayat fell on them, the deceased's parents along with former MP from Nabarangpur Pradeep Majhi and former MLA from Kotpad Chandrasekhar Majhi, staged a road blockade alleging the mishap was caused due to negligence of authorities.

The protest ended after police and District Welfare Officer Suresh Kumar Thandi arrived at the spot. Thandi said on Wednesday morning, some students of the Gandhinagar Government Unnat Ashram School in Dhamanahandi panchayat, under Kotpad police station limits, were brushing their teeth when a section of a five-feet high notice boardbroke off and fell on some of them.

Premanand Bhatra, a resident of Suniguda village in Gumuda panchayat died on the spot. Another student was seriously injured, but has since returned home after being treated at a hospital. Majhi, Chandrashekhar and their supporters and the deceased's parents alleged Premanand's death was not an accident but murder.

While they protested, Thandi reached out to them and gave the deceased's parents Rs 30,000 from the District Red Cross and Rs 20,000 from the school.

Majhi said nine students have died in Koraput district in the last three months. "It is being claimed that the student died when a signboard fell on him, but he was actually murdered. The Chief Minister and the Education Minister are responsible for the student's death and they should resign," he said.

Thandi said an inquiry committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Jeypore sub-collector. "The committee will conduct a detailed inquiry and submit its report to the district collector for necessary action," he said. The Gandhinagar Unnat Ashram School, managed by the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Department, offers education from Classes I to VIII and caters to children from SC and ST communities.

Also Read

KISS Murder: Eight Officials Held After Student Strangled To Death By 'Joker Gang'; CPC Seeks Report On Negligence