Class I Boy Locked Up In Odisha School, Headmistress Suspended

Balasore: Headmistress of Mahavir Nodal Upper Primary School Shanti Pratima Mohapatra was place under suspension following a hue and cry over a Class I student being left locked in a school building.

The matter came to light on Thursday after a video with the schoolboy crying inside the school premises behind the locked the gate went viral.

Balasore Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarty and District Education Officer Pramod Sarangi then directed the Block Education Officer to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

According to sources, Amar Hansdash, son of Bangaru Hansdah of Shantighat in Balasore town, was left locked in the building for an hour after school on Wednesday. He had gone to the toilet just before the school closed and upon returning found the gate locked.

Some traders spotted the boy crying inside the school premises and called his father. A staffer, who lives close to the school, was then summoned to open the gate.

Stating that it was a regular practice, the headmistress said, “Since the school is located near the main road, the gate is locked even during classes keeping in mind the safety of school students.” A few people had intentionally circulated the video to tarnish the image of the school, she added.