Tension gripped Gania after the body of a missing 10‑year‑old student was recovered from a well near Mangala temple in Belapadapatana village.
The deceased, identified as Bholanath Mallick, son of Bijay Mallick, was a Class V student of Belapada Government Primary School.
According to reports, Bholanath went missing on Tuesday after telling his headmistress, Manisha Senapati, that he was going to the toilet following the mid‑day meal. When he did not return to class, his school bag was later sent home with other students. By evening, his family began searching for him and suspected he might have fallen into a nearby pond. Fire service personnel searched the pond for two hours but found nothing.
On Wednesday morning, villagers discovered his body in a well near the Mangala temple. Blood was reportedly seen coming from his right ear, raising suspicion of foul play. Angered villagers placed the body on the road and blocked the Gania–Kantilo and Gania–Dashapalla routes.
Senior officials, including SDPO Madan Mohan Pradhan, Tehsildar Aishcharya Pruseth, Gania IIC Tankadhar Chhatria, and a platoon of police forces reached the spot. After assurances from the administration, the road blockade was lifted, and the body was sent for a post‑mortem.
Later, a forensic team and sniffer dogs were deployed to investigate. District Education Officer Chittaranjan Panda and Block Education Officer Lipsa Nanda also visited the site. Following inquiries, two teachers—Manisha Senapati and Sailabala Dei—were suspended. Meanwhile, villagers locked the school in protest, questioning why the child was allowed to go outside when toilets had already been constructed on campus.
Police confirmed that all angles are being probed and said the exact cause of death will be known after the investigation.
