Bhubaneswar A wave of shock and grief gripped Bhubaneswar on Wednesday following the tragic death of a seven-year-old mentally challenged girl student, whose body was recovered under mysterious circumstances from a water fountain behind Police Reserve Parade Ground.
The deceased child has been identified as Shreyashi Singh.
The Class 2 student of Demonstration Multipurpose (DM) School, Regional Institute of Education, at 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 at around 4.30 pm, 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 water fountain. She was immediately pulled from the water and rushed to Capital Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
“CCTV footage revealed that the girl managed to come out of the school before school closing time and was seen moving alone towards Children Park, Police line. During enquiry, it was found that girl’s Mamu (maternal uncle) is a constable posted in police line. During search of the campus, the girl’s body was found in an open water fountain (containing around 4-5 feet water, due to incessant rain over the last few days). The body was immediately shifted to the capital hospital, where the child was declared as brought dead,” a police release said.
Prima facie, it appeared to be case of accidental drowning, it added.
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.