Malkangiri (Odisha), Feb 26 (PTI) Police on Wednesday arrested a 22-year-old youth on charges of raping and impregnating a class 10 girl student of a state-run residential school in Odisha's Malakngiri district, officials said.

According to police, the girl delivered a premature baby at her hostel after returning from the 10th board examination on Monday, following which both mother and her newborn were admitted to Malkangiri district headquarters hospital.

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The youth, who is a neighbour of the girl, was arrested under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and sections 64 (rape) and 65 (1) (rape of a girl under 16 years) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.

The officer said the accused came to the police station and admitted to having a relationship with the girl.

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Taking the matter seriously, the Odisha government suspended the headmaster as well as an auxiliary nurse and midwife, and disengaged the hostel's matron, officials said.

The school is run by the ST & SC development, minorities & backward class welfare department.

The girl's parents, on Tuesday, questioned the school authorities how the pregnancy remained hidden until she went into labour.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)