A class VI schoolgirl gave birth to a baby boy on 4 February in a government-run hostel in Odisha's Koraput district, 12 days after a class X hostel inmate delivered a boy in the state's Kandhamal district.
The 12-year-old, class VI girl studying at Umuri Ashram School, she wrote about her condition to the school headmaster Kailash Charan Brahma on 3 February.
"On February 4 late night, the girl ran to the woman cook-cum-attendant's room inside the hostel premises with labour pain and delivered. Our staff took her home," he said. One of her relatives is allegedly the father of her child, added Brahma.
The district collector Yamini Sarangi received a complaint about the matter last Saturday who then ordered an investigation into it. This subsequently led to the arrest of Brahma and the school hostel's superintendent Sabita Guru on Sunday for negligence of duty.
"They will be produced in court on Monday," said SDPO (Jeypore) Rajendra Senapati.
The girl's father is a labourer.
Of the 570 students who study in the school, about 300, including 150 girls, live in the hostel.
In the case of the girl studying in class X, the police have arrested 24-year-old Sukanta Pradhan alias Tuna (24) on Saturday. He is allegedly responsible for the crime, according to SP (Kandhamal) KV Singh, reports The Times Of India.
Pradhan allegedly raped her in May last year during the girl's visit to a relative's house in his village.
In both the cases, the school authorities were accused of hush up the matter.
The state government has also initiated action against some more school teachers and support staff at the hostels.
"Disciplinary proceedings against the erring teachers have been initiated. The larger issue, however, is lack of awareness among our teachers to deal with such situations. It seems they are unaware that in such cases they should immediately inform police and provide medical care to the girls. We will impart training to teachers to handle such situations," said ST & SC secretary Surendra Kumar.
