Balasore, Dec 5: The district administration has taken strict action following an incident at Begunia Hostel in Nilgiri Block, where a fourth-grade student was tied up. Acting on negligence in duty, the District Collector has suspended the Headmaster, Raghunath Bagudai, and Assistant Teacher, Jatin Kumar Parida.

The incident reportedly occurred in Kumarakhali village on Wednesday, when Kalia Singh, the father of the student, tied his son with an iron chain in the hostel. Sources suggest that the incident may have occurred due to the student’s regular mischief. Assistant Teacher Jatin Kumar Parida captured the act on video. The video later went viral, prompting the District Collector to order an investigation.

The incident also came to the notice of Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, who directed the district administration to investigate the matter. Acting on this, the district authorities launched an inquiry, led by a team under the Sub-Collector.

Meanwhile, the school’s Headmaster, Raghunath Bugudai, admitted that the incident took place but noted that he was absent from the school at the time, attending the Differently-Abled Fair at Sujangarh. Bugudai also alleged that the assistant teacher has been intentionally causing disruptions and troubles at the school since joining.

Following the inquiry, the District Collector directed the suspension of both the Headmaster and the Assistant Teacher for dereliction of duty. School authorities are now investigating the circumstances leading to the incident.