principal-staffs-booked-for-menstruation-check-on-girls-in-thane

An incident of shocking insensitivity and alleged violation of minors’ dignity has emerged from Maharashtra’s Thane district, where schoolgirls were reportedly forced to strip to prove they were not menstruating. The episode has sparked outrage among parents and led to criminal charges against eight members of the school staff, including the principal and four teachers.

 

The incident took place at R S Damani School in Shahapur on Tuesday, following the discovery of bloodstains in the school toilet. According to the police, girl students from Classes 5 to 10 were summoned to the school’s convention hall, where images of the stains were projected before them.

 

The students were then asked to declare whether they were on their menstrual cycle. Those who said they were menstruating were made to give thumb impressions, while those who denied it were reportedly escorted one by one to the toilet, where a female attendant examined their private parts, the complaint said.

 

The sequence of events, as narrated in the complaint lodged by a parent, caused an uproar among guardians, who gathered at the school premises the following day, demanding strict action. “The situation turned tense for a while with the irate parents demanding action,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (Thane Rural) Rahul Zalte.

Also read: Female students forced to strip for period check by teachers

 

Police have booked the school principal, four teachers, the woman attendant, and two trustees under sections 74 and 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage modesty and disrobe, respectively. Provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have also been invoked.

 

“The police are investigating the matter in its entirety,” Zalte confirmed.

 

Senior Inspector Mukesh Dhage of Shahapur police station stated that no arrests had been made as of Wednesday evening.

 

Parents have expressed deep concern and anger over the treatment of their daughters, calling it a gross breach of privacy and bodily integrity. Many have demanded not just legal action but a full-scale inquiry into the school’s management and protocols.