HJS, VKA demand probe into death of two students

Bhubaneswar, Aug 19 (UNI) The Hindu Jagaran Samukhya (HJS) and Vanabasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA) have demanded a probe into the deaths of two students of Ananda Niketan School, run by a Christian missionary, at Machakunda in Koraput district.

In a statement issued here today, HJS secretary Basudev Barik alleged that the teachers and warden of the school forced the students to take a dip in the nearby Kolab river on Sunday as per Christian traditions.

In the process, Sameer Moharia (12), of Lamataputar village, and M Abu Bakar (10), of Kotapada village, drowned in the river.

Mr Barik said in all 69 students took a dip in the river in presence of warden Bana Sahu.

It was a practice by the school authorities to take the students on each Sunday evening for a dip in the Kolab river at Mahadeipur.

Meanwhile, VKA general secretary Dr Laxmikant Das demanded that the school should be shut down and the teachers responsible for the incident arrested.

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