UP madrasa demands ‘virginity certificate’ from 13-year-old to promote her to next class

The father of the 13-year-old girl lodged a complaint with the police and an investigation has been launched into the matter.

Lucknow: A ‘madrasa’ (Islamic seminary) in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad town, allegedly asked the parents of a girl, who studied there, to produce a ‘virginity certificate’ to promote her to the next class.

The father of the 13-year-old girl lodged a complaint with the police in this regard and an investigation has been launched into the matter.

According to the reports, the girl was a student in the ‘madrasa’ located in Lodhipura area on the outskirts of the town and had recently cleared her 7th standard examination.

In his complaint, the father of the girl, a resident of Chandigarh, said that his daughter had returned home a few days back after the examination to accompany her mother who was visiting her parents in Prayagraj.

‘’The 'madrasa' management refused to allow her to continue her studies there after we took her there following our return from Prayagraj. They asked me to produce a virginity certificate of my daughter stating that only after that she will be allowed to continue her studies there,’’ the parents said in their complaint.

The parents said that the ‘madrasa’ staff ‘misbehaved’ with them when they insisted that she be taken back and later handed them her TC (Transfer certificate) after striking off her name from the rolls of the seminary.

The ‘madrasa management, however, refuted the allegations.

A senior police official in Moradabad said that the matter was being investigated and appropriate action would be taken on the basis of the outcome of the investigation.