By Manoj Kar
Kendrapara (Orissa): Alleged trafficking of a deaf and dumb Dalit boy from Anantapur village within the Kendrapara Police Station limits, about 20 km from here, has trigged tension in the area.

A person from the nearby village had taken the 11-year-old victim – Butuna Mallick – to an NGO-run school for physically challenged children on the outskirts of the State Capital city of Bhubaneswar about a fortnight ago. At present there is no trace of the boy in the residential school. Meanwhile, the contact man has also fled from the village.

On Thursday, Satrughna Mallick, father of the missing boy, petitioned the Kendrapara Superintendent of Police and made a fervent plea to rescue his child from the claws of traffickers.

"We are of the firm belief that the local Dalit boy has fallen prey to child trafficking racket. We suspect the NGO-run deaf and dumb school near Khandagiri played an active role in the mysterious disappearance of the poor disabled child," said Surendra Sethy, former Sarpanch of Chandol gram panchayat.

"I am a poor trolley rickshaw puller. I was financially ruined as my wife is now battling against breast cancer. One Prafulla Das, a local of Anamdas Chaka prevailed on me to send the youngest child to a deaf and dumb school in Bhubaneswar. I was assured of free education besides food and boarding in the residential school," narrated Mallick.

"Accordingly, my child was admitted in the said school a fortnight back. Prafulla had accompanied us to the school. Since then, the man has fled from the area."

Last Saturday, I went to the school to meet my child. I received the shock of my life not finding the boy there. On inquiry, I was told that the child has fled from the school. To my utter surprise, I did not find a single inmate staying in the residential school. I pleaded before them to trace the child. But my plea went not heeded."

For five days, I wandered aimlessly on the streets of the State Capital. But it was of no avail. A group of youths took pity on my plight and advised me to lodge a complaint at Khandagiri Police Station. The police behaved rudely and did not accept my written complaint.

For me, the world has fallen apart. Cancer is going snatch away my wife sooner or later. I cannot think of losing my child," bemoaned a distraught Mallick.

"We are searching for the missing child. Today, we have intimated police of the incident," said Ramakanta Das, coordinator, Utkal Handicapped Welfare rganisation. The said NGO was running the school in question.