Odisha: Headmaster held for raping student on pretext of marriage

The 42-year-old married man confessed during interrogation that he started a sexual relation with the teenage girl in April with a promise to marry her.

The headmaster of a state government run school in Odisha’s Koraput district was arrested allegedly for raping a 14-year-old girl student while promising to marry her, the police said on Tuesday.

The student was studying in a residential school managed by the state’s scheduled caste and scheduled tribe development department.

The 42-year-old married man was arrested on Monday following a complaint lodged by the girl’s father.

The headmaster of the residential school in Nandapur block confessed during interrogation that he started a sexual relation with the girl in April with a promise to marry her, Inspector In-Charge of Padwa police station, Kailash Chandra Sethy, said.

However, the victim claimed that the headmaster first established physical relationship with her in January, Sethy said.

Koraput collector Anupam Saha said the headmaster was suspended on the basis of on preliminary inquiry.

A thorough probe into the episode was also ordered.

Around 500 students from class I to X study in the school managed by the state’s scheduled caste and scheduled tribe development department.