Nayagarh: Tension prevailed in Gania block of Odisha's Nayagarh district after a dispute broke out over reopening a school that has remained locked for nearly a month following the death of a student. According to reports, the family members of the deceased student had locked the school building, alleging negligence on the part of the teachers in connection with the incident. The closure of the school has disrupted classes for the past several weeks.

Villagers attempt to re-open school, protests follow

On Saturday, residents from another locality tried to reopen the school, arguing that the prolonged closure was severely affecting students’ studies. However, the deceased student’s family members, along with people from their neighbourhood, opposed the move, resulting in a tense face-off at the spot.

As the situation intensified, angry villagers blocked the Gania–Kantilo road and later gheraoed the local police station, demanding appropriate action. Police reached the area and attempted to calm the agitated crowd. To prevent any untoward incident, a large police force has been deployed in the village and efforts are underway to bring the situation under control.

Sources said that about a month ago, the student had gone out of the school premises to attend nature’s call and subsequently went missing. After an extensive search, his body was later recovered. Alleging negligence by the school authorities, the family members and villagers locked the school in protest. Police are currently engaging with both sides to defuse the tension while efforts are underway to restore normalcy in the area.

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