BHUBANESWAR: The investigation report by Koraput administration has ruled out sexual assault of a minor girl student in the hostel of Guneipada Sevashram in Lamtaput block on April 13.
However, it revealed gross negligence and absence of security measures as an unidentified man entered the 100-seater girls’ hostel on two occasions in the absence of hostel authorities. On both the occasions, the boarders saw the man and chased him away.
Though the miscreant had entered the girls’ hostel unlawfully in the night, the security lapses were never brought to the notice of police, local administration or the ST & SC Development department by the hostel authorities.
Earlier this week, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had issued notices to the additional chief secretary, principal secretary of ST & SC Development department and DGP over the case.
The girl’s parents had taken her back home to Kalapada village on April 30 for summer vacation but the same day, they lodged a complaint with the headmistress alleging that their daughter was sexually assaulted by a man in the hostel on April 13. Following the complaint, the headmistress reported the matter to the welfare extension officer of Lamtaput on April 30. A case was registered on the same day and medical examination of the girl conducted at SLN medical college and hospital on May 1.
The report submitted by Koraput collector V Keerthi Vasan to the department on Friday stated medical test report of the girl revealed no evidence of any sexual assault.
However, investigation found an unknown person entered the hostel on the nights of April 13 and 19 but the matter was neither informed to police nor the higher authorities of the department. On both the occasions, the hostel was being managed by a lady cook-cum-attendant (CCA) Bati Muduli while the headmistress of the school, who is also in-charge of overall management of the hostel, was absent on medical grounds. The CCA reported the matter to the headmistress Bhanupriya Ray on April 20.
Ray, however, refuted the allegation on the ground that the school ANM had checked the health of all girls on April 14 and 22 and no complication was found in any of them.
While the headmistress was placed under suspension, the CCA was also disengaged for negligence of duty (informing authorities concerned about the incidents late) and carelessness towards safety of the girls.
Investigation further revealed that the CCA changed her statement twice during interrogation by the welfare extension officer. While Muduli had initially claimed that she was present in the hostel on both the nights, she subsequently admitted that on April 13 night, she was at her house and came to the hostel only after hearing the girls scream.