Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch has launched a preliminary inquiry into allegations of harassment of a Bengali-speaking schoolgirl in Keonjhar district following a directive by Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Dec 30, 2025, the order of which was available on Sunday.The commission jointly heard two cases, one by a minor girl student from a school in Keonjhar district, and another of the girl’s mother. The mother alleged that her daughter was regularly harassed as she is a Bengali-speaking resident of Odisha. She was ill-treated in the school too, the mother said in her complaint.The girl alleged she was denied admission in Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV) in Class VI due to non-issuance of a transfer certificate to her by the school authority.The commission took cognisance of the case and conducted a hearing in March last year. During the hearing, the headmistress of the school denied the allegations levelled by the student and her mother. “Since this is a disputed question of fact, this commission wants this case to be investigated by the crime branch, Odisha, regarding the complaint of harassment of the girl student and mother duo and non-supply of TC to the child,” read the order.“We have received the order and started an inquiry,” said a senior police officer. The commission also recommended the OAV authority, more particularly the Keonjhar district magistrate, to release a discretionary quota in the coming academic session in Class VI in favour of the complainant.
