Four staff members of Kerala English Medium School in Champua, Keonjhar district, have been arrested following the suicide of a Class 10 student, Krishna Pradhan (16), who allegedly faced sustained physical and mental harassment.
The arrested individuals include teacher Shashi Shekhar Jha (58), hostel warden Surendra Nath Mishra (52), hostel supervisor Daitari Sahu (45), and administrative officer Prakashan T (48). All were taken into custody under Section 108/3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide.
Krishna, a resident of Chaibasa in Jharkhand, was staying in the school hostel. On July 12, after attending the morning assembly, he reportedly jumped from the rooftop of the four-storey hostel building. He was rushed to Champua hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The incident sparked widespread outrage among parents and guardians, with chaotic scenes unfolding at the hospital and school premises. The boy’s father, Sudhansu Sekhar Pradhan, filed a police complaint alleging that his son was driven to suicide due to continuous harassment by school authorities.
Following a detailed investigation and review of CCTV footage, police confirmed it was a case of suicide and proceeded with arrests. The accused were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
