70 UP schoolgirls made to strip by principal to ‘check for menstrual blood’

india

Updated: Mar 31, 2017 17:48 IST

The Uttar Pradesh government ordered a probe on Friday after reports that about 70 girls of a residential school in Muzaffarnagar were allegedly forced to strip by the principal who wanted to check for “menstrual blood”.

A complaint filed by the parents said the incident at Kasturba Gandhi Residential School in Digri village took place on Thursday.

Principal-cum-warden Surekha Tomar allegedly threatened the students of dire consequences if they disobeyed her command, district primary education officer Chander Kesh Yadav said.

The contract of Tomar, a contractual employee, was terminated after the report surfaced and 35 of the total 65 students of the school left.

A student said: “There was no teacher around. We were called downstairs (from the hostel). Madam made us take off our clothes saying she will beat us if we did not. We are kids, what could we do? She would have beaten us if we did not obey her.”

A student said a school official ordered girls to remove their clothes after discovering blood stains in the bathroom.

“It was very humiliating for all of us. We want action against her,” she said.

UP power minister Shrikant Sharma condemned the incident, saying a probe by the concerned authorities had been initiated.

Tomar, however, denied the allegations.

“No one asked them to remove clothes. All this is a conspiracy by the staff because they do not want me to stay here. I had been asked to check whether the staff were performing their duties. I am strict, that is why they hate me,” she said.