Class 12 student gives birth to baby in Chhattisgarh; hostel superintendent suspended

Bijapur: A Class 12 student in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district has given birth to a baby, prompting authorities to suspend the superintendent of a hostel where she was staying for alleged negligence and being unaware of her condition, officials said.

The student, aged around 20 and student of a school located near the government-run hostel facility, was in relationship with a boy for the last two-three years and their families were aware of it, they said.

Porta cabins are pre-fabricated structures for school infrastructure in Naxal-affected areas. They include school and residential facilities at some places and only hostel facility at other places in Bastar region.

At places where the porta cabins have only residential facility, students go to nearby schools for education.

The student, who was staying at the government-run residential porta cabin for girls in Gangloor area, complained of headache and uneasiness on Tuesday night following which she was admitted to a local hospital where she delivered a baby, Bijapur District Education Officer (DEO) Baliram Baghel said.

After getting information on Wednesday morning, Baghel and other officials went to the residential facility and hospital to enquire about the matter.

The student has appeared in three papers of Class 12 board examinations, he said.

The DEO said he later learnt that the student was in relationship with a boy for the last three years.

Baghel also said he met parents of the duo in the hospital.

Prima facie, negligence was found on part of the hostel warden (superintendent) as she should know about the health condition of the students, he said.

The porta cabin hostel superintendent, Anshu Minj, has been suspended, the official said, adding that further enquiry into the matter was on.

Talking to reporters, Minj said the health department recently held a sickle cell anaemia test camp in the porta cabin as a part of its routine exercise, but no symptom of pregnancy was reported by them in any student.

"I learnt today that the student was in relationship with a boy and their families were aware of it. She had eloped with the boy three years ago," she claimed.