Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday took suo motu cognizance of two separate media reports from Odisha involving deaths and serious injuries of schoolchildren, and has issued notices to the state government seeking detailed reports within two weeks.
In the first case, the Commission acted on a report stating that a 12-year-old boy died and more than 100 students fell ill after allegedly consuming stale food at the hostel of Kakabandh Ashram School in Mayurbhanj district on April 14. The victim was reportedly a Class 5 student of a school run by the ST and SC Welfare Department of the Odisha government.
According to the report, 67 students were in serious condition and were shifted to Baripada Medical College and Hospital, while 41 others were admitted to a Community Health Centre. The Commission observed that if the reports are true, they raise serious concerns of human rights violations.
It has sought a detailed report from the chief secretary of Odisha and the superintendent of police, Mayurbhanj, including the status of the investigation and the health condition of the affected students, according to an official statement.
In a second incident, the NHRC took cognizance of a media report stating that two girl students died after an iron gate collapsed on them at a government primary school in Gajapati district on April 15. The incident reportedly occurred while the children were playing near the school entrance.
The Commission noted that the report, if accurate, indicates serious human rights concerns and has issued notices to the chief secretary of Odisha and the superintendent of police, Gajapati, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
As per the report published on April 16, 2026, the children were trapped under debris and were later declared dead at a nearby hospital after being rushed by locals.
