BALASORE: In a shocking incident, a Class-II girl student died of electrocution inside the campus of a primary school in Bahanaga block of Balasore district on Wednesday triggering tension in the locality.
While the relatives and local villagers gheraoed the school for hours together demanding compensation for the victim’s family, the district administration took prompt action by suspending the headmistress of the school immediately.
Sources said Ritika Biswal (7), daughter of Nirmal Chandra Biswal of Patimunda village under Soro police limits died of electrocution when she came in contact with an electric wire used by a Siksha Sahayak (SS) for illegal electricity connection.
Ritika was studying in Patimunda Primary School. Local villagers alleged an SS of the school Mamata Sahu who was staying in a room in the school had taken illegal power connection for a cooking hitter. “The girl purportedly came in contact with the electric wire on her way to urinate behind the school building. She died on the spot,” they said.
Though informed relatives of the victim rushed her to Soro community health centre (CHC), she was declared brought dead. While her parents were inconsolable, tension ran high in the locality as irate villagers gheraoed the school demanding compensation and action against the school teachers who were responsible for illegal electricity connection.
ASI of Anantapur police outpost Subash Jena rushed to the spot with police force and brought the situation under control. He admitted that the girl died of electrocution. A case was registered in this connection.
District Education Officer (DEO) Hrushikesh Kandi said headmistress of the school Draupadi Lenka has been placed under suspension and the Block Education Officer (BEO) has been asked to initiate process to disengage the Siksha Sahayak from her service.
“The BEO also has been asked to submit a report by Thursday following which I would recommend the district collector to release some compensation amount from the Red Cross fund for the victim’s family,” he added.