Coming on the heels of a Visva-Bharati school warden forcing a 10-year-old girl to lick her own urine, a West Bengal teacher was accused of stripping one of her students suspected of stealing Rs. 50 from a classmate. The class VIII student of North 24 Parganas district alleged that Rupali Dey had stripped her in the staff-room on Wednesday, but could not find the money.

Anita Biswas, the headmistress, who came out in defence of Dey on Friday, could not be reached for comments on Saturday. The day before she had said, “The student had taken off her skirt voluntarily and asked Dey to search. No one asked her to take off her clothes.”

Dey was arrested on Saturday morning after the girl’s father lodged an FIR at Gopalnagar police station. She was produced before a Barasat court, which granted her bail.

Later in the day, many students of the school and their guardians demonstrated in front of the school, protesting the grant of bail. State education minister Bratya Basu has sought a report from the school about the episode.

According to law, whoever assaults or uses criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage her modesty or knowing it is likely to do the same, can be sent to jail and/or fined.