Bhubaneswar, Mar 7: Family members of Class V student Bijay Mallick, along with villagers, locked Belpada Primary School in Gania block of Nayagarh district on Saturday, demanding immediate action following the child’s tragic death. The school has remained closed for nearly a month, severely affecting academic activities.

According to reports, the student’s family and local residents initially shut down the school to press for accountability and appropriate action from authorities. When district officials later attempted to reopen the institution, the District Collector reportedly visited the school premises to unlock the gates and resume classes. However, the move was strongly opposed by the victim’s family and several villagers, forcing officials to leave without reopening the school.

Tensions escalated as residents of Belpada staged a protest near the Gania police station and blocked the busy Kantilo–Daspalla road, disrupting traffic for some time. Police personnel were deployed to the area to maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating further.

The incident dates back to February 3, when Bijay left school after the mid-day meal around 1 pm but did not return home. His body was discovered the next day in an open well near the village.

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