A shocking incident unfolded at a state government-operated residential school in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, where an unexpected inspection revealed that out of the total 100 girls residing in the hostel, a staggering 89 were reportedly missing. As a response, a formal police complaint has been lodged against four individuals, including the hostel warden. This alarming discovery came to light during a surprise inspection carried out by District Magistrate Neha Sharma at the Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls School in Paraspur on a late Monday evening.
Witnessing a scene of chaos on the school premises, the District Magistrate sternly addressed those accountable for the apparent negligence. She engaged with the 11 girl students who were present in the hostel during the inspection, also taking the opportunity to assess the overall facilities offered by the school. Prompted by the District Magistrate’s directive, both the District Basic Education Officer (BSA) and the District Coordinator for Girl Education promptly arrived at the school later that Monday night.
Upon thorough investigation, it was discovered that only 11 girl students were accounted for within the school premises out of the 100 enrolled. The hostel warden, identified as Sarita Singh, failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the absence of the remaining 89 girls. Surprisingly, attendance records indicated the absence of girls from classes 7 and 8 after August 17, although the warden had allegedly manipulated the records on the Prerna portal, leading to incorrect attendance data and related financial transactions.
Given the financial irregularities observed during the inspection, along with the evident negligence, an official First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against four individuals, with the hostel warden being among them. The District Coordinator for Girl Education emphasized that the warden was explicitly instructed to document details of any girl leaving the school premises in the official register, a directive that seems to have been overlooked at the Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls School in Paraspur.
Crucial information regarding the movements of the girl students had not been duly recorded. During the inspection, conversations were held with the parents of several girl students, during which it was communicated that the girls were expected to return home on August 19. However, the warden claimed that the girls had gone home on August 21.
Upon closer scrutiny, it became evident that the girl students were indeed present at their respective homes during the period in question. The District Coordinator for Girl Education highlighted that the warden, the full-time teacher, the watchman, and a member of the Prantiya Raksha Dal (PRD) were collectively responsible for ensuring the safety of the girl students. However, it appears that these responsibilities were not adequately fulfilled, leading to the lodging of the FIR against the hostel warden Sarita Singh, full-time teacher Susham Pal, watchman Vishnu Pratap Singh, and PRD member Dilip Kumar Mishra.
