BERHAMPUR: The Gajapati administration on Friday suspended the in-charge headmaster of Rubudisingh upper primary school in R Udaygiri block over the death of two girl students due to gate collapse two days ago.
The district education office placed headmaster Seto Raika under suspension on charges of negligence in duty, holding him accountable for the safety lapses which led to the mishap.
On April 15, Edanti Raita (9) and Bekleshan Raita (10), students of Class IV and V respectively, were playing on the campus when an iron gate attached to the school’s boundary wall suddenly collapsed on them, killing them instantly. Villagers alleged that frequent movement of heavy vehicles inside the campus for repair work weakened the wall and iron gate, leading to the collapse.
An officer of R Udayagiri police station said a case has been registered against the contractor entrusted with construction of the boundary wall and the iron grill gate.
Meanwhile, chairperson of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Justice Satrughana Pujahari visited the mishap site and assured strict action against those responsible for the death of the two girls. He also met the bereaved families and directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive assessment of unsafe school infrastructure across the district.