Berhampur: A 16-year-old student was found dead in the toilet of a govt-run residential school in Kandhamal district on Wednesday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Anandeswar Mallick from Balisugri village in Nuagaon block, was a Class X student at the school, which operates under the SC and ST development department, in Khajuripada. His body was found in a hostel toilet that was being repaired. School authorities immediately informed the police after discovering the body.
“We have registered an unnatural death case and initiated an investigation to determine the cause of death,” said Chapadhara Pradhan, officer in-charge of Khajuripada police station. The body was sent for post-mortem before being handed over to his family.
Saroj Kumar Sahu, the school’s headmaster, said Mallick was last seen by his roommates around 11:30 pm on Tuesday when he went to the toilet. “He was a good student who actively participated in outdoor games and showed no signs of depression,” Sahu said.
Mallick was residing in the hostel since Class VI. He had his dinner on Tuesday evening and was studying until midnight. He shared the hostel room with seven other students.
The headmaster provided Rs 5,000 for the last rites of the student, and a group of teachers attended the funeral ceremony in Balisugri.