Headmaster Drinks Liquor On Duty, Locks 35 Students Inside Odisha School, Suspended

A headmaster at a government school in Odisha’s Kendrapada district was allegedly found drunk on the school premises and accused of locking students inside before falling asleep. Sunakar Nayak, headmaster of Ambura Government Primary School in Ambura village under Kurujanga panchayat in Derabish block, was suspended on Wednesday following the incident.

According to reports, Nayak allegedly consumed liquor and food inside the school on Tuesday after locking the main entrance gate. He reportedly fell asleep while the children remained trapped inside the premises.

The students allegedly began crying after finding themselves locked in. Hearing their cries, local residents rushed to the school and reportedly opened the gate, rescuing the children.

The incident soon triggered outrage after photographs purportedly showing liquor bottles and food placed on the headmaster’s table surfaced on social media and went viral. The posts also drew the attention of education authorities, who initiated an inquiry.

Ambura Government Primary School has around 35 students studying in Classes I to V and only two teachers, including the headmaster. On the day of the alleged incident, Nayak was reportedly the only teacher present at the school as the other teacher was on leave.

Derabish Block Education Officer Madan Mohan Kar said he visited the school and conducted an inquiry after being informed about the incident.

“The headmaster was found to have frequently attended school in an inebriated state. On Tuesday, he allegedly consumed liquor on the school premises and illegally locked the main entrance. He has been placed under suspension,” Kar added.