Bhubaneswar A wave of shock and grief gripped Bhubaneswar on Wednesday following the tragic death of a six-year-old girl student, whose body was recovered under mysterious circumstances from a pond behind Police Reserve Parade Ground.
The deceased child has been identified as Shreyashi Singh.
The Class 2 student of a government school in Acharya Vihar left for her classes as usual this morning but went missing from the school premises during school hours, reportedly around the midday meal break after stepping outside the main gate. When she failed to return, her panicked family launched a frantic, hours-long search.
Following a complaint by the child’s parents at Saheed Nagar police station, three teams were formed and an extensive search operation was launched across nearby parks, residential areas, and surrounding avenues while meticulously reviewing local CCTV footage to trace her movements. The search ended in a heartbreak later in the evening when local residents spotted her body floating in the pond. She was immediately pulled from the water and rushed to Capital Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Speaking to reporters outside Capital Hospital, the victim’s grieving uncle voiced deep outrage over how a 6-year-old child could wander off school premises unnoticed. “It is total negligence on the part of the school. How can a six-year-old child walk out of the school gates, cross three traffic points holding a lunch box, and no security guard or teacher notices her?” he questioned.
Family members have demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against the school management, teachers, and security guards for failing to monitor school gates and ensure safety.