A 13-year-old girl residing at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Hostel in Parsamau village, Baihar development block, Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, gave birth to a baby girl at the district hospital's maternity ward this week.
The case has raised serious concerns about lapses in safety, health monitoring, and supervision at residential hostels intended to support girls from rural and tribal areas.
The Class 8 student was admitted to Garhi hospital after her condition worsened. Medical examinations confirmed an advanced pregnancy, resulting in the delivery of a baby girl. Hospital authorities notified the police, and the women's police station initiated immediate action.
The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Garhi police station, as the hostel falls under its jurisdiction. Women's police station in-charge Kiran Varkade confirmed to IANS that legal proceedings began promptly upon receiving the hospital report.
A suspect, who was a minor at the time of the alleged incident and is now 18, has been detained and will appear before the Juvenile Justice Board on Saturday.
The victim identified the accused as a resident of her village. Authorities are reconstructing the sequence of events with sensitivity and in accordance with legal safeguards for minors.
The undetected pregnancy has highlighted significant oversights. The girl's mother reportedly “failed to notice the changes,” and the hostel warden told police the girl had returned home during April vacations, where the incident is believed to have occurred.
The warden stated that no suspicion arose despite any visible signs, according to the investigation officer. In response, Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Affairs Department, Shakuntala Damor, issued an immediate suspension order for hostel superintendent Chainbati Saiyam, citing serious negligence.
The order states: Prima facie, it appears that the hostel warden, Chainbati Saiyam, showed “no concern” when the student's health deteriorated, nor did she “arrange for a separate medical examination” of the student. Furthermore, despite the student's repeated absences, “no contact was made with the parents regarding her absence or health.”
This indicates that Mrs. Chainbati Saiyam, a primary teacher at Government Primary School, Khajra, and the warden of Kasturba Gandhi Girls' Hostel, Parsamau, did not fulfill her hostel management duties and “acted arbitrarily and with gross negligence in the discharge of her official duties.”
Investigations confirmed that clear indicators of the girl's declining health were overlooked. No dedicated medical evaluation was arranged, and parents were not promptly informed about her persistent illness or frequent absences.
District Project Coordinator GP Barman of the Education Centre, whose team supervises these hostels in the tribal area, was not available for comment regarding additional responsibility for the negligence. Police officials are conducting a comprehensive inquiry.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
