Student’s ‘suicide attempt’ at residential school: Mother accuses teachers of attempted murder in Puri

An incident involving a suicide attempt by a Class 10 student at a residential school in Puri district took a serious turn on Thursday, with the student’s mother levelling serious allegations against school teachers.

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Nearly seven days after the incident, the student’s mother lodged an FIR at Konark Police Station, accusing the school authorities and teachers of attempting to murder her son by strangulation. She further alleged that some teachers were involved in unethical activities and demanded strict action and justice.

The incident had previously occurred on the 18th of this month at Umashankar Vidyapitha, located at Pubei under Konark police limits.

The male student, a resident of Astaranga locality, was staying in the school hostel and was found in a critical condition before being admitted to the Community Health Centre in Banguri. He was later shifted to Puri and then referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where he is currently battling for life. Doctors initially observed marks on his neck and indicated that it appeared to be a suicide attempt.

According to sources, after morning yoga and prayers, the student had returned to the classroom and had not come back. His classmates later found the room locked from the inside and rescued him before rushing him to the hospital.

However, the school principal had claimed the incident was linked to a personal relationship issue and stated that a note was recovered from the spot.

Police had begun an investigation into the matter, which is underway.

“I have prayed for justice in my FIR. I will keep fighting and, if needed, will even move Supreme Court. I want the incident to be properly investigated and the truth to come to light,” the student’s mother, Laxmipriya Behera, said to OTV.

When contacted, the school headmaster, Prakash Dalei, stated, “He (the male student) was involved in a love affair. We are not sure what happened with him on Tuesday night. He attempted an extreme step the next morning.”

Reported By: Sanjay Kumar Pati