In a shocking incident from Maharashtra, the principal of a private school in Thane, along with others, reportedly asked minor girls to strip in order to check whether they were menstruating, after traces of blood were spotted in the school washroom.

Alleged Sequence of Events

The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday, July 8, when the principal called all minor girls from Classes 5 to 10 to the school hall. She showed them images of blood stains found in the bathroom, as reported by the housekeeping staff, and then asked them to divide into two groups—those who were menstruating and those who were not.

A female staff member was asked to check the girls between the ages of 10 and 12 from the group that claimed they were not menstruating. She allegedly touched their undergarments and found a sanitary pad on one of the girls. The principal then reportedly shouted at the girl and humiliated her in front of the other students and staff.

Following the incident, students complained to their parents, who soon began protesting outside the school and filed an FIR against the principal and others involved on Wednesday.

Outrage by Parents and Police Action

According to distressed parents, school authorities allegedly collected fingerprints from all the girls, claiming they were trying to match them with a blood-marked fingerprint found on the wall to identify the girl involved. They also alleged that the school lacks basic facilities such as a proper water supply and frequently experiences power cuts. Parents said they attempted to raise concerns with the school administration, but the principal reportedly refused to engage with them.

The matter soon escalated, and a police complaint was filed under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act against eight women, including the school principal, four teachers, two trustees, and one attendant.

The principal and attendant were arrested on Wednesday, followed by the arrest of three teachers on Thursday. Authorities are currently working to trace the fourth teacher. Police officials said both trustees are above 80 years old and cannot be arrested due to their age.

Following these developments, Rupali Chakankar, Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, visited the school to assess the situation.

School Closed Until July 14

The state school education department conducted an enquiry and found that the school had not formed the mandatory Sakhi Savitri committee, which is meant to ensure student safety. Additionally, the school lacks a functional Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to address and resolve sexual harassment complaints.

Chakankar noted that there have been serious regulatory violations and said the education department must consider revoking the school’s license, but only after ensuring that no academic loss occurs for the enrolled students. She also mentioned that such treatment has left the girls mentally and emotionally disturbed, and has directed the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to provide counselling support to all affected girls.

The school has been closed since Wednesday. Officials from the police, Child Welfare Committee (CWC), education department, and a group of parents are expected to meet on Friday to decide the next course of action.

Previous Incidents

As reported by the BBC, similar incidents have happened before.

In 2017, a residential school in Uttar Pradesh asked 70 students to strip after a female warden found a blood stain on the bathroom floor.

A similar incident occurred in a college hostel in Gujarat in 2020, where girls were strip-searched after they stopped reporting their periods to authorities to avoid restrictions on visiting temples and the mess.

Ongoing Concerns and the Road Ahead

These incidents raise serious concerns among parents about their children’s safety. Menstruation remains a taboo topic in many parts of the country. While efforts to break these stigmas have seen some success, such cases highlight that there is still a long way to go.

(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)