Soro: In a shocking case of vigilante justice, an anganwadi worker in Basudeipur village near here was chased, stripped and thrashed mercilessly today after a four-year-old boy fell into a swelling stream and was swept away by its strong current while returning from the Anganwadi.
More shockingly, women took the lead in assaulting the anagnwadi worker, Annapurna Pradhan. They did not even spare a man who tried to intervene and save the hapless anganwadi worker.
Adding further ignominy to the insult and injury heaped on her by villagers, Balasore Collector Pramod Das expelled Annapurna for dereliction of duty.
The four-year-old boy, identified as Chandan, son of Laxmidhar Pradhan, fell into the stream while coming back home from the Anganwadi and was swept away. The villagers rescued Chandan and rushed him to the hospital. But it was too late by then.
As the news spread, the villagers stormed into the Anganwadi and stripped and beat her up the anganwadi worker and took her hostage. On getting information about it, police and the local tehsildar reached the place and rescued her. She has been admitted to the hospital.