Student Flees Home Post ‘Hair-Cut Humiliation’ By Principal In Odisha, Family Seeks Probe

Jeypore: An FIR has been lodged at Sunabeda police station in the district, accusing a school principal of torture.

The principal, identified as Pradyumna Dash, had allegedly cut the hair of a Class IX student of Netaji English Medium School, Semiliguda, as a warning after he was found frequently talking to a girl student of the school. It was done in front of other students on January 31. Since his hair was cut unevenly, his parents later took him to Simanchalam  in Andhra Pradesh and tonsured his head.

Unable to bear the humiliation, the student fled home on Sunday. After frantic search, he was traced late last night.

In her complaint, the boy’s aunt Tapaswini Patnaik said that cutting a student’s hair forcibly was against the norms. She has demanded a probe into the matter.

The principal refuted the charges and said he did not intend to humiliate the student.

“A complaint has been lodged in connection with the incident. Action will be taken as per law,” School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Das told mediapersons.

Sunabeda SDPO Niranjan Behera said that the matter was being investigated.

Meanwhile, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also sought report from Koraput Collector, SP, DEO and CWC on the incident.