Minor Girl Delivers Baby In Odisha Residential School: Accused Nabbed, Matron Dismissed, ANM Suspended

'Necessary action will be taken against the accused in the POCSO case. Preliminary investigation revealed negligence and lapses in surveillance by school authorities,' said DWO.

Malkangiri(Odisha): Swinging into action after a Class 10 tribal girl student delivered a baby in a state-run residential school for SC/ST students in Chitrakonda of Malkangiri district on Monday, the district Administration disengaged the lady matron of the hostel and suspended an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) for alleged lapses in surveillance and monitoring.

A senior official of the district administration informed, "Lady Matron Suchitra Charchi has been disengaged with immediate effect. ANM Kabita Kumari Patra has been placed under suspension."

The administration has also recommended to the government to suspend school headmaster Ajit Kumar Madkami for alleged mismanagement.

Malkangiri District Welfare Officer (DWO) Srinivas Acharya said, "On February 24, we received information that a Class 10 girl student has given birth to a child on the premises of a Government Residential School hostel. The local police was immediately informed about it. The girl was rushed to Chitrakonda Community Health Centre, and later shifted to Malkangiri district headquarters Hospital. Both the mother and the child are healthy."

Suspect Detained

DWO Acharya further said that Chitrakonda Police have detained an accused in this connection. "Necessary action will be taken against the accused in the POCSO case. As per the instructions of the District Magistrate, the District Probe Committee went to the spot. Preliminary investigation revealed negligence and lapses in surveillance by the school authorities. After the committee recommended action against the matron, the District Magistrate dismissed the matron, and suspended the ANM. Suspension of the school Headmaster has also been recommended to the government."

Reportedly, the girl student appeared for her matriculation examination at the designated center Monday morning. She returned to the hostel with her classmates. The same evening, she experienced labour pain and delivered a baby on the hostel campus. The hostel warden then contacted the girl's father, who arrived to find that his daughter had already given birth to a baby. Shocked, the father blamed the school authorities for alleged negligence. "How did such a big incident happen inside the school? Who made my daughter pregnant? The school authorities are responsible," he said, demanding stringent action against those involved.

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