As shocking as it could be, a Class-9 student of a government high school at Madhapur in the Hyderabad city gave birth to a healthy baby girl in a restroom of the school on Saturday. However, the school authorities, her classmates and teachers as well as the girl’s father have claimed ignorance about her pregnancy.

Shocked over the information, the Telangana State Education Department higher-ups on Monday suspended the school headmaster Basavalingam. They also served notices to all the teachers of ninth class to ascertain why and how they failed to notice that the girl was pregnant.

Following a complaint from her father, an autorickshaw driver and widower, the Madhapur police on Monday registered a case under sections of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 or Nirbhaya Act and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Police believe that the parent cannot be unaware of his daughter’s pregnancy and said that the suspect is absconding.

Nobody among the 20 member school staff including 13 women teachers at Government High School Madhapur noticed that the girl was pregnant. The teachers said she used to cover the stomach with a scarf and while sitting on the bench, used to keep the bag in front of her.

The girl was nine months pregnant when she gave birth. Police said that it was a completely normal delivery. The girl and her baby are both being taken cared of in hospital.

The girl’s parents live in Chandunaik Thanda, 1.5 km away from Cyber Towers in Madhapur and run a small grocery store from their house. “The girl has no mother and the father has claimed ignorance just like the school authorities. We have a suspect who is known to the girl. We are investigating,” said the inspector.

After preliminary inquiry, police booked a case against a youth who used to accompany the girl to school. Dinesh is suspected to have made the girl pregnant.