Sex scanal: headmaster suspended, teacher sacked

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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/03/04/stories/2010030457730300.htm)
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Sex scanal: headmaster suspended, teacher sacked


The victims were students of class VII and VIII of Sevashram School



The scandal came to light due to a lady assistant teacher of the schoolShow cause notice issued to Welfare Extension Officer


BERHAMPUR: Four girls of a residential Sevashram School at Badaambada village in Nabarangpur district of south Orissa were allegedly sexually exploited on the campus by their teachers.
According to sources one of the victims was found to be pregnant during medical tests done at Nabarangpur district hospital on Wednesday. The victims were students of Class VII and Class VIII. The authorities were dumb found when fingers were pointed at two teachers including the headmaster and the husband of a cook posted in the school. The headmaster of the school, Pradipta Sahu, a contractual teacher Iswar Bhatra and Padman Bhatra, the husband of the cook of the school have been taken into custody by the police for questioning. The Nabarangpur district Collector Rupa Mishra has suspended the headmaster and removed the contractual teacher and the cook from the school. She has also issued show cause notice to the Welfare Extension Officer (WEO) of Kosagumuda block of the district.
The State Mass Education Department and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Department have asked the Collector to submit report about this grave incident.
This sex scandal came to the fore due to a lady assistant teacher of the school, Kanchan Prabha Nayak, who dared to bring it to the notice of administrative officials few days back. The District Welfare Officer (DWO) Mukund Nihal was assigned to investigate into the allegations.
The DWO had reached the Sevashram school with an Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) on Tuesday evening to enquire into the allegations. The initial investigation hinted at sexual exploitation of four girls. So, these girls were brought to the district headquarter hospital at Nabarangpur town for further medical investigation. The medical investigation confirmed their sexual exploitation and one of them was found to be pregnant.
The DWO said a medical team would be sent to the school for check up of other girls of the school. In place of the suspended headmaster and the removed contractual teacher, arrangements are being made to post new teachers to the school.
At present there are only two teachers in this school. A new cook is also to be appointed. But the parents of the girls studying in this school are now a worried lot. Several of them rushed to the school on Wednesday to collect their wards.
They alleged that this shameful incident has been a major set back for education of girls in this tribal dominated remote district.



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