Bhubaneswar: A day after a seven-year-old girl studying at a central govt school in Bhubaneswar was found dead in a waterlogged fountain on Reserve Police Line campus, nearly a kilometre away from the institution, after she left the school way before the closing hours without anybody’s knowledge, angry parents on Thursday staged a demonstration, alleging gross negligence by the authorities and demanding strict action against those responsible.The bearevead family, however, was not a part of the agitation as they had gone to Puri for the last rites of the deceased.Accusing the school administration of failing to ensure the safety of students, the members of the parents’ association questioned how the autistic Class II student could walk out of the campus unnoticed during class hours, and demanded accountability from teachers, headmaster and security personnel.The protest on the school campus disrupted the normal functioning of classes for several hours as agitated parents refused to disperse until senior officials arrived. Police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order, and pacify the protesters.Later, the chairperson of the school’s managing committee, Manasi Goswami, met the parents and assured them that appropriate action would be taken if any negligence on the part of the school staff was established.“A committee has been constituted to investigate the incident and has been asked to submit its report at the earliest. It will also examine the school’s security arrangements,” she said.The girl reportedly went missing from the school during lunch break around 1.30 pm on Wednesday. Police examined CCTV footage, which showed her walking out through the school’s main gate carrying her tiffin box, before heading towards the Reserve Police Line campus. Following a frantic search by teachers, parents and local residents, her body was recovered from the waterlogged fountain on the Reserve Police Line campus. Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to her death.The school has around 1,300 students, from primary to higher secondary classes. Aggrieved parents alleged that the tragedy could have been prevented had the school ensured adequate supervision. They demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident.Goswami also assured parents that monthly meetings would be held with teachers and the school administration to address issues related to education and student safety. She said parents would be issued identity cards to enable them to enter the campus during breaks to meet their children and collect them from near their classrooms after school hours.
