Class 2 Girl Locked Overnight in Keonjhar School Sparks Safety Concerns

A Class 2 student was accidentally locked inside her school classroom overnight in Keonjhar district.

The child, Jyotsna Dehuri, a student of Anjara Government Upper Primary School in Bansapal block, was found hanging from the classroom window railing in a desperate attempt to escape.

According to reports, the school authorities locked the premises around 4 PM after classes ended, unaware that Jyotsna was still inside. Her family, alarmed by her absence, searched extensively but failed to locate her. It wasn’t until the school cook arrived the next morning at 9 AM to open the building that Jyotsna was discovered clinging to the iron railing of the classroom window, her legs outside but her head and torso still trapped inside.

Eyewitnesses say the child had tried to bend the iron bars using all her strength to escape. She endured the entire night in pain and fear, suspended awkwardly in the window frame. Villagers and family members rushed to the scene, retrieved the classroom key from the cook, and managed to rescue her by further bending the iron bars.

Jyotsna was immediately taken to the Keonjhar District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. School authorities, including the headmaster, accompanied her. Officials from the School and Mass Education Department have confirmed that the child is now safe and recovering.

The incident has raised serious questions about school safety protocols and the accountability of staff. A formal inquiry is expected to follow.