MALKANGIRI:A day after the death of a 14-year-old Class X student of Sikhpally-based SC & ST Girls’ Residential High School, some 13 km from here, police on Saturday arrested the school’s headmaster Biswajit Sarkar on sexual assault charges.
Addressing media persons here, Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena said the headmaster was arrested based on the deceased’s handwritten note which implicated him for the sexual assault. “The post-mortem report has revealed that the cause of death of the minor girl was due to an incised wound on the left wrist,” he said, adding the report stated that there was no sign of recent sexual intercourse.
During the investigation, another girl student of the school revealed before police that Sarkar had sexually assaulted her. The headmaster will be charged in this case also, the SP said, adding the headmaster has been booked under sections 376, 302, 509, 341, 354 of IPC and POCSO Act. Meena said the handwritten note left behind by the deceased will be sent to a forensic laboratory where its authenticity will be verified.
Meanwhile, the school headmaster was placed under suspension by the State Government on Saturday. Collector Manish Agarwal also suspended in-charge headmaster Biswanath Lenka, in-charge hostel superintendent Renubala Mallick and junior matron Sephali Kirtania for dereliction of duty. The school’s watchman Pradeep Suna too was removed from his job.
The victim was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Thursday night. After having her meal with other students in the hostel, she did not return to her room. Her roommates and the senior matron searched for her and found the girl in a pool of blood with a cut in her left hand in the computer room of the school at around 10.30 pm. A blade was also found from the room.