Tension mounted near the local medical campus following the tragic and suspicious death of a second-year student inside the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) hostel at Ganjapara in Nabarangpur district.
The deceased has been identified as Rohan Sahu, the younger son of Narendra Sahu, hailing from Haladi Panchayat in the Raighar block.
Family Accuses Authorities of Mental Harassment and Foul Play
According to the victim’s family, the death is far from a simple suicide. Rohan’s parents strongly alleged that their son suffered continuous mental harassment at the hands of school and hostel staff. They recalled that three months prior, Rohan had broken down in tears, describing the torture he faced, but the family had consoled him and advised him to continue his studies.
The family voiced severe suspicions regarding the sequence of events:
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Late Notification: The victim was reportedly locked in his room and missed meals from the afternoon of September 24 through the night. Although news of his death emerged around 9 PM on Thursday, authorities only notified the parents at 3:30 AM on Friday.
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Unsupervised Isolation: Questions have been raised as to why Rohan was made to stay alone in a single room.
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Premature Removal of the Body: Family members expressed outrage over the fact that authorities removed the body from the hostel and brought it to the Raighar Medical campus before a thorough preliminary investigation could take place on-site, and without the principal being present.
“He wanted to become a police officer when he grew up,” recalled Gelamani Sahu, Rohan’s grieving mother. “I sent photos to his phone around 8 PM yesterday, but he never viewed them. They all came together and killed my son.”
Protests Erupt at Medical Campus; Police Investigation Underway
The incident sparked intense anger among local residents and political leaders. Former MLA Subash Gond, former SDC Chairperson Upendra Gond, and Block Chairman Gupta Prasad Jhankar joined the family in demanding strict action against responsible officials for extreme negligence and administrative failure.
To control the rising tension, Tahsildar Manmohan Sahu (acting as Magistrate), SDPO Subhendu Sabar, Raighar IIC Tiki Chand Bahubal Khatuya, and Kundei IIC Pradeep Kumar Sabar were deployed to the scene. Tahsildar Sahu assured the crowd that a fair probe would be conducted and strict action taken against anyone found guilty. A team of scientific experts from Nabarangpur has also arrived to collect critical physical evidence.
IIC Tiki Chand Bahubal Khatuya confirmed that a case (Case No. 68/26) has been registered based on the formal complaint, and a detailed investigation is underway.
Institute Authorities Respond
When questioned, ITI Principal Bijayshree Pattnaik described Rohan as one of the finest students in the institution and emphasised that a proper investigation is necessary to determine the exact circumstances of his death. Officials noted that the campus hosts 300 students, with 41 boys staying in the boys’ hostel and 36 girls in the girls’ hostel.
However, severe management lapses have come to light, including allegations that the Principal resides nearly 30 km away from the campus, leading to a lack of timely oversight, even when a student’s door remained locked for hours. Guardians in these tribal-dominated border regions are demanding an impartial inquiry by higher state authorities to ensure accountability and safety within student residential facilities.
