Odisha School Scandal: Arrest and Suspensions Follow Student's Tragic Ordeal

A 22-year-old man was arrested for raping and impregnating a class 10 student in a state-run school in Odisha. The girl delivered a premature baby at her hostel after her board exams. The government suspended key school officials for negligence as investigations continue.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Odisha's Malkangiri district for raping and impregnating a class 10 student from a state-run residential school. The girl, who gave birth prematurely at her hostel, had just returned from her 10th board exams. Both mother and child have been hospitalized, officials reported.

The accused, a neighbor of the victim, was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to the rape of minors. In a significant development, the accused voluntarily confessed to having a relationship with the victim, according to a senior police officer.

The state government has taken swift action by suspending the school headmaster, an auxiliary nurse, and a midwife. Additionally, the hostel matron was disengaged. The incident has raised questions about the school's negligence, with the girl's parents demanding answers for how the pregnancy went undetected until labor.