Sundargarh, Sept 15: The Block Education Officer (BEO) of Gurundia in Sundargarh district has issued a showcause notice to the headmaster of a government nodal high school in Jarda following the alarming incident of a Class III student being found trapped inside a tin box in the hostel for nearly three hours on Friday.

Reports indicate that the incident occurred after a fight between two Class III students in the hostel before 10 am. After the altercation, one student returned to class, while the other went missing. The class teacher noticed the boy’s absence during roll call and, upon questioning his classmates who were unaware of his whereabouts, initiated a search. Despite multiple attempts to locate the missing student, the search yielded no results. The boy’s parents were subsequently notified, and his mother rushed to the school.

The breakthrough came when two teachers, hearing noises coming from a tin box in the boy’s hostel room, discovered the student trapped inside. The boy revealed that his roommate had locked him in the box. Following the rescue, the boy’s mother took him home and accused the school and hostel authorities of gross negligence in their duty to ensure the students' safety.

In response to the incident, a meeting was held at the school on Saturday. After the discussion, headmaster Gangadhar Seth dismissed Meena Kishan, the deputy superintendent of the hostel, citing negligence in her responsibilities.

On Sunday, Bhagwan Bankira, the BEO (in-charge), issued a showcause notice to the headmaster, directing him to provide a written explanation within two days. Bankira stated, “After reviewing the headmaster’s reply, if required, a further inquiry will be conducted, and appropriate actions will be taken against those found responsible for the incident.”