In an unusual form of protest, more than 100 students of a state-run tribal girls high school walked more than 25 kilometres at night in the cold to Mayurbhanj District Collector's office demanding action against their hostel authorities for alleged ill-treatment.
Around 7 PM yesterday, 107 students of Pakatia government girls' high school in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha run by SC/ST department, came out of the school campus alleging continuous harassment and ill-treatment in the hostel by authorities.
Though efforts were made to persuade the girls to return to their campus, they refused to withdraw.
Unable to stop the angry girls, police escorted them on the 25-km walk to the District Collector's office here.
At the District Collectorate, they staged a dharna on the road at midnight demanding action against the matron, accusing her of ill-treatment and serving low standard meals to them in the hostel.
They also alleged that the school did have adequate teaching facilities.
Mayurbhanj District Collector Rajesh Pravakar Patil rushed to the site at about 1 AM and assured action against errant officials.
"We have dropped the girls at their school and the district administration has assured to take action against erring officials after a probe," said District Welfare Office Krupasindhu Behera.
Mayurbhanj SP, Gadhadhar Pradhani, Mayurbhanj Zilla Parishad Chairperson, Prakash Soren, along with other top officials were present during the discussion with the agitating girls.
After their story was highlighted, help has been pouring
in for the two girls from locals as well as NRIs. Yesterday, a teacher came forward to help them and offered monetary aid of Rs 15 lakh and there were calls from the US offering money for the treatment of girls, an official said.
The girls have bonded well with the constables who are stationed at the hospital to take care of them.
The constables keep getting them chips and biscuits and even get food prepared for them from their wives.
The girls were deserted by their father and were left to die in a dark room on August 17. Their wounds were infected with maggots and they were found living in extremely bad conditions in a house in Nepali Colony in Badlipur on August 19.
Police have already registered a case under IPC section 317 (abandonment of a child under 12 years by parents or guardian) and section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and after Gupta's confession, murder charges were added to the FIR.
