Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 (Inditop.com) A 16-year-old youth passed himself off as a girl and lived almost two weeks in a hostel for destitute women in Orissa’s Bolangir district before his actual identity was detected by inmates, who informed the police.

According to the police, the “girl”, claiming to be Mam Sao, an orphan, approached the railway police at the Bolangir railway station and sought help. They decided to send “her” to Shradhashram – a hostel for destitute women.

“He came to us seeking help. He was wearing a jeans and top and his appearance was like a girl. So we decided to send the ‘girl’ to the Shradhashram,” said Mujibur Rehman, the officer in charge of the police at the railway station.

The youth was staying in the hostel since July 29 without raising suspicion. However, he was ultimately caught when some inmates began to suspect he was male and informed the hostel authorities, who reported the matter to police. The “girl” was taken for a gender test and found to be a male.

“He was brought here as an orphan girl. But hostel authorities said that they suspected him to be a boy. We took him for a gender test where he was found to be a male,” said Uma Charan Moharana of the local police.

The police said the youth was from Bhopal, but were yet to find out why he was impersonating a girl. He has been detained and police are questioning him.