Bhubaneswar: Four days after a seven‑year‑old autistic student of a central govt school drowned in a water fountain inside the nearby Reserve Police Line campus on Wednesday, the security guard of the school was arrested on Sunday on charges of negligence.“We arrested Budhia Palei (48) for failing to prevent the child from leaving the school premises, which led to the tragedy,” said an officer of local Saheed Nagar police station.Police said the Class II girl left the school well around lunchtime without being stopped either by teachers or security staff. “Closed-circuit television camera footage shows the child walking out unchecked and later entering the police line premises. While playing, she accidentally fell into the fountain and drowned,” the officer said.The incident sparked outrage from parents, who questioned lapses both at the school and within the police line. “The police line campus is a high‑security zone, housing an armoury, barracks and residential quarters of police personnel. Shockingly, nobody noticed a child playing alone near a waterlogged fountain. The reserve staff are equally responsible,” said a guardian.Police have launched a detailed probe into the circumstances leading to the death, while parents demanded stricter safety measures at schools and accountability from authorities managing sensitive premises.
