JAGATSINGHPUR: Hours after a pregnant teenage girl jumped into Mahanadi river, she not only was rescued but went on to deliver a baby at Kujang community health centre (cHc) here on Tuesday. afraid of social stigma, the unwed dalit girl wanted to end her life but life had its own miraculous ways of unfolding. a class iX student, the 15-year-old girl of Mangrajpur had developed an affair with tuition teacher Ranjan Rout, a neighbour. On the pretext of marriage, Rout maintained physical relation with her. When she conceived in March, he had reassured her to marry. later, the teacher started avoiding her and wanted her to abort the child.
This led to misunderstanding between the two. On the day, the girl experienced labour pain in the morning but decided not to disclose it to her family members. instead, she went to Bada Sankh ghat at Zillanasi, parked her bicycle on the embankment and jumped into Mahanadi river. When she was drowning, a villager spotted her and jumped into the river to rescue her. after getting information, Kujang police reached the spot and rushed the girl in an ambulance to Kujang cHc where she delivered a baby girl.
While interacting with police, the girl confessed that she decided to end her life due to social stigma attached to a unwed mother and rejection by her lover. The condition of both the girl and her baby is stated to be normal. Kujang iic Parao Tudu said the girl has disclosed the name of the tuition teacher who impregnated her. Police have detained the accused. Since the girl is in the hospital, no FiR has been filed with police. Once a complaint is lodged, action will be taken against the tuition teacher, Tudu added.