A college in Bhuj town of Gujarat’s Kutch district has suspended its principal, hostel rector and peon after police registered an FIR against them for allegedly forcing over 60 girls to remove their undergarments to check if they were menstruating.
Principal Rita Raninga, girls’ hostel rector Ramilaben and college peon Naina were suspended on Saturday after an FIR was registered against them, Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute (SSGI) trustee Pravin Pindoria said on Monday.
The FIR also named as accused one Anita who is not associated with the college. The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 384 (extortion), 355 (assault with intent to dishonour a person) and 506 (criminal intimidation). No one has been arrested so far. SSGI is a self-financed college with its own girls’ hostel. It is affiliated to the Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kutch University. After the incident came to light, a seven-member team of the National Commission for Women met the residents.
A student had told mediapersons that the incident took place on February 11 in the hostel. Darshana Dholakia, in-charge vice chancellor of the university to which the college is affiliated, had said the girls were checked because the hostel has a rule that those menstruating are not supposed to take meals with the others. The hostel authorities decided to check them after they learnt that some menstruating girls had broken the rule.