CUTTACK: A 17-year-old boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man, deployed as a labourer, inside the boys hostel of Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Mundali.
The incident took place on the night of April 10 when the boy, who was studying in Class XII, was assaulted by one of the around 15 labourers hired by the principal for colouring the office and buildings of the JNV.
According to the police, the victim had gone to toilet at about 9.30 pm, when the accused labourer who was standing near the gate came inside. He then locked the gate and sexually assaulted the boy.
The boy informed his parents, who then filed an FIR at the Baranga police station on April 11. Basing on the complaint, a case was registered under section 351(2) of BNS and section 4(1) POSCO Act-2012, and the accused, Sanatan Mallick (45) of Jajpur was arrested on April 12, inspector-in-charge of Baranga police station Debendra Nath Biswal said.
The matter, however, came to light on Friday after a social activist, Saroj Kumar Sahu submitted a petition highlighting this incident to the commissioner of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida.
“It is a matter of surprise as to how the principal had accommodated all the labourers, who had come from outside, in STAR (Boys’) hostel. These unknown labours are not only staying in the hostel, but are also being provided with free meals regularly from the school mess, as per direction of principal,” he stated in the petition.
He further stated that the accommodation of outsiders accounts to gross negligence of lawful duty as well as willfully disobedience of orders of Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti.
Efforts to elicit response from principal Ram Raj Singh on the issue proved futile.