Bhubaneswar: On her way to the shop to buy a packet of biscuits, Muni Juadi met her classmate. They spoke about meeting in school. Little did Reema Behera know then that it would be the last time she would see Muni.
“We greeted each other, and I told her that I would see her in school. She was always such a joyful girl. I can’t believe things would change so quickly,” said Reema, a student of Class VI at Nandankanan Nodal High School.
Recalling the day’s event, Muni’s mother Sabitri said her daughter finished brushing her teeth and left home on her cycle to buy biscuits for her father from a nearby shop.
“She told me she was going to the shop located on the other side of the road and would be coming back soon,” recalled her grief-stricken mother.
Sabitri, who works as a housemaid, learned about the accident from neighbours while she was at work. “I rushed home first, looking for my husband, but he had already left for the accident site. Shortly after, we received news of her death. We lost everything in the blink of an eye,” said an inconsolable Sabitri.
Muni’s parents, originally from Barpali village in Bargarh district, had moved to Bhubaneswar several years back in search of better opportunities. Muni has two siblings, both younger to her. Ramchandra is employed as a gardener in a house in Raghunathpur area.
Despite their modest means, the parents ensured their daughters received proper education. Her sisters, one in Class IV and another in Class I, are also studying at Nandankanan Nodal High School.
The incident has raised concerns about road safety, particularly regarding Mo Bus operations in residential areas. Local authorities have initiated an investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident.
Sabitri lodged a complaint at Nandankanan police station, following which the Mo Bus driver, identified as Nrusingh Sethy (33), was arrested.