Joda ABEO Artatrana Pradhan was suspended by the Joint Director Elementary Education in connection with sexual abuse of students by the headmaster and the cook of the Govindapur UP School under Joda block. Pradhan’s fault was that he did not initiate action against the two culprits despite having known the fact.
Sources revealed that about 12 girl students of Class-V were staying in a 40-seated TRW hostel of Govindapur UP School. Headmaster Surendra Kumar Rana, however, was sexually abusing the girls by intoxicating them with some drugs. Radhakanta Naik, the cook of the hostel, assisted Rana in the heinous work.
They both were threatening to kill the victims by showing a sword to terrorise them so that they don’t disclose the matter. However, the matter came to light on November 2, 2016 after the victim girl students distributed pamphlets in the villages mentioning the heinous crime. Instead of swinging into action against the culprits, the Joda ABEO remained silent in the sensitive issue without reporting it to the higher authorities.
Seeing no action against the guilty, a local ward member filed a written complaint in the Bileipada Beat House after which accused Surendra and Radhakanta were arrested by police on August 4 and later, the Collector , Keonjhar dismissed them. The matter would have been closed there seeing the dilly-dallying attitude of the authorities of the Education department.
But Keonjhar SP Rajesh Pandit went to the spot to inquire the matter and recorded the statements of the inmates, besides reporting to the Collector, Keonjhar. Collector, Dr Tirumalla Naik after dismissing with concerned officials of Joda block recommended action against the ABEO.