BERHAMPUR: A Class X student of Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls’ School in Ganjam’s Chhatrapur died under mysterious circumstances on Sunday. The deceased girl was identified as 15-year-old Rosa Behera of Tareipatapur. She was residing in the school hostel.
Sources said Rosa was fine when she went to bed after dinner last night. However at around 4.30 am, she complained of uneasiness and started vomiting. Fellow hostel mates informed the warden who rushed to her room and reportedly gave her a pill. When there was no improvement in Rosa’s condition, the hostel authorities rushed her to Chhatrapur hospital at around 6.20 am. She was declared dead in the hospital.
On being informed, Rosa’s parents reached the hospital. Tension flared up when they blamed the school authorities for Rosa’s death. The delay by authorities in bringing Rosa to the hospital resulted in her death, they alleged.
District education officer (DEO) Binita Senapati and Chhatrapur IIC Satya Ranjan Pradhan rushed to the hospital and brought the situation under control. The DEO provided `10,000 to Rosa’s family from the Guru Kalyan Student Fund.
Refuting the negligence charge, the DEO said two days back, a Class VII student of the school fell ill and was admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. “Due to timely action by school authorities, the student was provided necessary treatment and discharged after recovery,” she added.
Chhatrapur IIC Satya Ranjan Pradhan said basing on the complaint of Rosa’s father Kailash Behera, a case has been registered. The girl’s body was handed over to her family after postmortem. Police recorded the statements of Rosa’s roommates and hostel staff. Samples of the deceased student’s vomit and the medicine provided to her by the hostel warden have been collected and sent for test, the IIC added.
Sources said Rosa hailed from a poor family and was staying in the hostel since the last last five years.