Tension gripped Bargarh in Garhwa district of Jharkhand on Tuesday after the death of a Class 12 student allegedly due to mental harassment by her school principal.
Agitated family members and villagers blocked the main Tehri–Bhandariya road with the girl’s body, staging a fierce protest against the Principal and the management of the Project +2 High School, Bargarh.
The protesters accused the acting Principal, Draupadi Minz, of physically assaulting and mentally tormenting the student, which they claimed led to her death.
The family has submitted a written complaint at Bargarh police station demanding the Principal’s immediate suspension, arrest, and government compensation.
Upon receiving information about the blockade, Inspector Subhash Kumar, Bargarh Police Station in-charge Deepak Kumar Maurya, BDO Amit Kumar, and Circle Officer Rakesh Bhushan Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters.
However, the family members refused to call off the blockade until senior district officials arrived. At the protest site near Hanuman Mandir Chowk, villagers expressed their outrage by burning tyres and shouting slogans against the principal. Officials remained stationed at the spot to prevent escalation.
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According to family members, the deceased, Divya Kumari Gupta (19), daughter of Anjay Prasad and resident of Ugra village, was a Class 12 student of Project +2 High School, Bargarh. On September 15, Divya went to school, where Principal Draupadi Minz allegedly beat her for not wearing shoes during the morning assembly and humiliated her in front of other students.
Her family said Divya returned home in tears and remained distressed for two days. Soon after, she fell into depression and became unwell. She was first taken to Daltonganj for treatment and later referred to RIMS, Ranchi.
Despite medical efforts, she passed away on Tuesday morning while undergoing treatment. Following the news of her death, angry relatives and locals gathered at Hanuman Mandir Chowk around 1 PM and blocked the road with her body, demanding justice.
Authorities are continuing negotiations with the agitated family as the investigation into the incident proceeds.
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