Furious over blood stains in the bathroom, the warden of a residential school in Uttar Pradesh forced around 70 girls to strip to check who among them was menstruating. The incident occurred at Kasturba Gandhi Girls Residential School at Tigri village in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday. The matter, however, came to light on Thursday, when the girls staged a demonstration inside the campus, demanding that action be taken against the warden, Surekha Tomar.
Sources said the warden flew into a rage after she saw blood stains in the bathroom. Around 70 girls were taken to a classroom where they were forced to strip. One of the students said the girls kept pleading with the warden to stop the inhumane treatment, but she did not relent.
The ordeal went on for several hours, during which the humiliated girls watched each other being checked. “Surekha has been suspended after being found prima facie guilty in the matter,” said district basic education officer Chandrakesh Yadav.
The state government has also ordered a probe into the matter. “It is a shocking incident... we will ensure stern action against the warden if she is found guilty in the probe,” said a senior government official here on Friday.
Surekha, however, denied the incident and pleaded innocence. She claimed that none of the girls were stripped and termed the allegations a “conspiracy” against her. Some of the students were taken home by their parents after the reports of the harassment surfaced. The parents also protested and demanded action against the warden.
Published 31 March 2017, 20:18 IST