13-year-old school boy’s death on railway tracks triggers tension in Odisha
BARIPADA: A Class X student was killed after being hit by Balasore-Bangiriposi DMU train at Machhapada village here on Saturday. The incident triggered tension in the area with locals locking up the school in protest.
The 13-year-old tribal boy, Bijay Naik of Khandia within Kuliona police limits, was a student of Gopabandhu Sikhya Niketan at Machhapada in Baisinga. He was staying in the school hostel.
Sources said Bijay had gone to attend nature’s call near the railway tracks adjacent to the school at around 4.30 am. Eyewitnesses claimed the mishap took place as the boy was absent-minded and did not see the approaching train.
On being informed by the villagers about the incident, hostel superintendent and other school teachers reached the spot and rushed Bijay to Baisinga hospital. However, the doctor declared him brought dead.
As the news of the mishap spread, locals staged protest and locked the school gate. They alleged that negligence of the school authorities led to the death of Bijay. The villagers further alleged that inmates of the school hostel went to attend nature’s call near the railway tracks regularly.
Bijay’s father Ramesh Chandra Naik alleged that the school authorities did not inform him about the death of his son. “I was told that my son was unwell but on reaching the school, I found out the truth,” he said.
On the other hand, headmaster of the school Harihar Pradhan said Bijay was mentally unstable. He used to sneak out of the campus during school hours regularly and had been warned several times to stop this practice, claimed Pradhan.
Baisinga IIC KC Polei said the locals locked the school for one and half hours demanding the compensation to Bijay’s family. Later, they withdrew their after Block Education Officer Srikrushna Patra intervened and assured to look into their demands.
The body of the student was sent to PRM Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. The IIC said a case has been registered basing on the complaint lodged by Bijay’s father and investigation is on.