Medininagar (Palamu), July 26: A pregnant government school teacher in Jharkhand’s Palamu district allegedly lost her unborn child after being denied leave during the final month of her pregnancy, prompting a departmental inquiry into allegations that a senior education official demanded a ₹50,000 bribe to approve her leave application.
Bharti Pandey, posted at Sildiliya Plus-2 School in Tarhasi and currently on deputation at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Chainpur, reportedly travelled nearly 35 km daily to attend school despite her advanced pregnancy.
According to her husband, Mukesh Kumar Tiwari, a police personnel, Pandey had applied for maternity leave on July 3, but the application was not approved. He alleged that Palamu District Education Officer (DEO) Sandeep Kumar demanded ₹50,000 to sanction the leave.
“My wife applied for maternity leave on July 3, but it was not approved,” Tiwari alleged. “The DEO demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 to sanction the leave. We even offered ₹25,000, but the leave was still not granted.”
On Saturday, Pandey reportedly went into labour while at school. As her condition deteriorated, she approached the District Education Officer’s office seeking leave. She was later rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared that the baby had died in the womb.
Tiwari further claimed that the Palamu Deputy Commissioner had directed the Education Department five days before the incident to approve the leave application, but the instruction was allegedly not acted upon.
Responding to the allegations, Palamu Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat said the teacher had not applied for maternity leave but had instead sought child care leave.
“The teacher had applied for child care leave, not maternity leave. The application did not mention pregnancy,” Shekhawat said, adding that the leave application was under process and was approved on the day of the incident.
The Deputy Commissioner said a departmental inquiry has been ordered into the bribery allegations.
“A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the bribery allegations. The administration has recommended the transfer or suspension of the DEO, and an FIR will be registered if evidence substantiates the allegations,” he said.
Meanwhile, DEO Sandeep Kumar denied the allegations, maintaining that the application submitted by the teacher did not mention maternity leave.
“The application submitted by the teacher did not mention maternity leave,” Kumar said.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised serious questions over the handling of leave applications for pregnant government employees and alleged corruption in the education department. The outcome of the departmental inquiry is awaited.
