Students at a school for disabled children in Odisha have accused a male warden of physical and sexual harassment. Sandhya Darshan Mahapatra, warden at the Red Cross School for the Blind, Deaf, and Mute in Kalahandi, is alleged to have inappropriately touched girl students and dragged them against their will.
Several videos reportedly show Mahapatra making unwanted physical contact with female students despite their clear discomfort. In one clip, he is seen touching a girl’s back and shoulder; another image shows him holding a student’s arm in a dark corner of the school.
Boys who tried to report the incidents say they faced harsh punishment. Many of the students, who cannot speak or hear, communicated their distress through gestures.
Kalahandi District Child Protection Officer Shailendu Mahapatra confirmed receiving complaints. “A committee headed by the Additional District Magistrate has been formed to investigate,” he told NDTV. “If the allegations are proven, strict legal action will follow.”
