A disturbing incident has surfaced from Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, where a 13-and-a-half-year-old Class 8 student living in a residential girls’ hostel gave birth to a child. The case has raised serious concerns over the safety, monitoring, and accountability of residential hostels meant for minor girls.

Taking the matter seriously, the administration has suspended the hostel superintendent, while police have arrested the accused youth involved in the case.

Incident From Garhi Police Station Area

The case pertains to the Parsamau Kasturba Gandhi Girls’ Hostel, operated under the District Education Centre, located in the Garhi police station area of Baihar development block.

Following a preliminary inquiry, the Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Affairs Department ordered the immediate suspension of Chainabati Sayam, the hostel superintendent and primary teacher, citing gross negligence.

Serious Lapses by Hostel Management

Investigations revealed that the hostel superintendent failed to show basic sensitivity toward the student’s health and behavior. Despite the girl being frequently absent from the hostel, no effort was made to:

• Inform her family

• Conduct a medical examination

• Monitor her physical condition

These lapses allowed the pregnancy to go unnoticed for several months.

Police Action and Arrest

After receiving information about the incident, Garhi police registered a case and launched an investigation. Based on the statement of the victim, police arrested a youth from the same village, who is alleged to have had a physical relationship with the minor girl.

Women’s Police Station in-charge Kiran Varkade and District Programme Coordinator GP Burman confirmed that the victim is a minor, aged just 13.5 years, studying in Class 8.

Mother and Newborn Stable

Officials confirmed that both the minor mother and her newborn child are healthy. They have been admitted to the district hospital’s trauma center for medical care and observation.

DPC GP Burman admitted that there was serious negligence not only by the hostel administration but also by the concerned health department staff (ANM).

Further Probe Ordered

The district administration has ordered a detailed investigation to determine how a minor girl living in a government-run hostel remained pregnant for months without detection and to fix responsibility at all levels.