Another Girl Found Pregnant In Kandhamal School, Accused Held

Phulbani: In yet another incident, a Class VIII tribal girl of a residential school at Belghar in Odisha’s Kandhamal district has been found pregnant.

The incident came to light after the headmaster of the school lodged a complaint with the police after the girl was found four-month pregnant.

Acting on the complaint, police have arrested a college student.

The accused has been identified as 20-year-old Amulya Pradhani, a Plus III student of Tumudibandh college. He was staying in a rented accomodation in Benarbal area.

“A case has been registerd under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the accused forwarded him to the court, where the statement of the victim was recorded,” IIC of Belghar police station Srikant Khamari informed the media on Friday.

Meanwhile, the girl student has been handed over to the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

This is the second incident in Kandhamal district this year. In January, a Class VIII minor tribal student had delivered a baby inside the toilet of a residential school in Daringbadi block.

After the girl gave birth to a baby girl on the night of January 12, the hostel staff allegedly dumped her and her baby in a forest near the hostel. Some people found the girl in the early hours the following day and admitted her to the Community Health Centre at Baliguda. She was later referred to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where the newborn died.