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Kerala NEET controversy: 5 women arrested after girl students register complaint
The state women rights commission has registered a case and the human rights commission too sought a report from the Kollam SP
The Kerala Police on Tuesday arrested five women after some girl students registered a complaint alleging that they were forced to remove their innerwear before entering the examination hall for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) at a private college in Kollam’s Ayyur on Sunday.
Initially, after the women were detained, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police R Nishanthini said their arrest will be recorded after statements from a few more students are taken.
Among those arrested, two are college employees and three are members of a private agency that was hired to conduct the examination, the police official said, adding that the cops verified the complaints as true after preliminary inquiry.
“We will record statements of more students,” she said.
Also Read: ‘Traumatic experience’: Girls in Kerala ‘forced to remove’ bra for NEET
Initially, the parents of a girl student highlighted the shocking incident, triggering a slew of similar complaints. Five more girls shared their plight before the investigating team on Tuesday and alleged that they too were forced to remove their brassieres because they had ‘metal parts’.
When they protested, the students were told that they could not appear for the examination, they told the investigating team. One of them said her request for a shawl too was turned down, while another narrated a similar horror story. “It was a humiliating experience,” a 17-year-old said.
The matter spiraled after angry students clashed with the police in the college compound on Tuesday, seeking action against all involved in the incident. Many students and policemen were injured and the college building too suffered damages.
A case was registered under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, said investigating officer deputy SP V Vijayakumar.
The incident was also brought up in the Parliament and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan ordered a probe into the incident. He also sought a report from the additional secretary of the education department. Two MPs from Kerala, Hibi Eden and K Muraleedharan, had moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile the National Testing Agency, which conducts NEET examinations, said it has not received any complaint regarding the incident. It said that the examination center’s superintendent, city coordinator in Kollam and independent observer denied any such incident.
“There was no representation/compliant from anyone during or immediately after the examination. All three officials responsible for the conduct of the examination also denied any such incident,” it said in New Delhi.
NJ Babu, district coordinator of the NEET, said “no such incident took place and it was blown out of proportion by some people with vested interests.”
The state women rights commission has registered a case and the human rights commission too sought a report from the Kollam SP.
