Balasore, Jul 27: A government school headmaster has been detained by police following allegations of inappropriate conduct with a Class V girl student at an upper primary school in Odisha's Balasore district. The incident has sparked widespread outrage among local residents.

The alleged incident took place at Beli Gopinathpur Upper Primary School under Jaleswar police limits. According to the complaint filed by the student's family, the headmaster, identified as Jayanta Kumar Jena, allegedly called the minor girl to his office during the midday meal break on July 23 and behaved inappropriately with her.

The student reportedly managed to leave the room and returned home in tears. When her family members questioned her, she narrated the alleged incident. The girl also claimed that this was not an isolated occurrence and alleged that the headmaster had behaved similarly with her on several occasions in the past.

Following the disclosure, villagers convened a meeting on Sunday to discuss the matter with the victim's family. Subsequently, the family lodged a written complaint at the Jaleswar Police Station, seeking strict action against the accused.

Acting on the complaint, Jaleswar Police brought the accused headmaster to the police station for questioning and initiated an investigation into the allegations. Authorities are examining the complaint and collecting evidence as part of the probe.

The incident has triggered strong resentment in the locality, with residents demanding stringent action against the accused and measures to ensure the safety of children in educational institutions. Police said further investigation is underway.