Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)
Udupi, Nov 19: Chaos prevailed at Sharada Residential School, Kunjibettu here on Wednesday November 19 after parents staged a protest over the disappearance of a girl from the school.
Eshika Shetty (13), a student of 8th standard reportedly went missing from the school's hostel premises on the evening of Saturday November 15. She has remained untraceable so far.
Eshika is the daughter of Shekar and Yashoda Shetty from Yellinje, Mulky. Her parents are residing in Muscat, while she has been in Sharada Residential School for the past two years.
Speaking to media persons, principal of the school Vidyavanta Acharya said that on November 15 there was a basketball match from 6 pm to 8 pm, and around 600 students including Eshika had come to watch. "A little while into the match, Eshika complained of headache and left for her hostel room, and passed through the lecturers' passage. A teacher stopped her on the way and asked where she was going, and Eshika replied that she had headache and was going to rest in her room. The teacher then went on her way while Eshika went towards her room," said the principal.
After the match, at around 8.15 pm, the students came to the dining hall and were given their cell phones to call home and speak to their parents. When the teachers went to her room to give her cell phone to call back home, they realized that she was missing, and a search was launched, Acharya said.
However, even after a thorough search of the premises, Eshika was nowhere to be found, and at around 10.45 pm, the school officials approached the police and filed a missing complaint.
The police who came to investigate found her diary, and from its contents, it is reportedly surmised that she was interested in films, music and dance, and aspired to become an actress, sources said.
On November 16 the search continued and her footwear and clothes, a red t-shirt and a white skirt, were found near the compound wall between the school and its hostel. It is suspected that she might have changed her clothes before going missing.
The parents on learning about her disappearance came down from Muscat and lodged a complaint with the Mulky police.
On Wednesday, around 50-60 people including Eshika's parents, family members and parents of other children came to the school and demanded swift action from the school authorities. They alleged that the school management had acted late and had failed in its responsibility. They also demanded that the watchman resign or be fired for dereliction of duty.
Speaking to reporters, Eshika's parents said that she was a courageous girl who had helped in catching a thief in the hostel premises two years ago.
Udupi town police have registered a case and further investigations are on.