Thane Rural Police arrested the principal and a female attendant of R S Damani School in Shahapur, on Wednesday, July 9, for making 10 schoolgirls strip to check if they were menstruating. Police have also filed a case against two trustees and four teachers.
The incident came to light after angry parents gathered at the school and protested. They demanded strict action against the staff and school management. Police then launched a probe into the incident.
It started on Tuesday, July 8, when school staff found bloodstains in the girls’ restroom. They informed the principal and teachers. Girls from Classes 5 to 10 were called into the convention hall. They were shown images of the bloodstains on the restroom floor using a projector.
Teachers then asked the girls to reveal if they were menstruating. The girls who raised their hands were made to give their thumb impressions and other personal details. The rest of the girls were taken to restrooms. There, attendants allegedly stripped and checked them.
According to police, one student was using a sanitary pad but was not menstruating. The principal accused the girl of lying and forcefully took her thumb impression. The girls went home and shared the incident with their parents, who returned to the school the next day to protest and filed a police complaint.
The school principal and the female attendant were taken into custody. A senior police officer said the two arrested will be presented in court on Thursday, July 7. Four teachers and two trustees have also been booked in the case.
The Shahapur police filed a case against the principal, the attendant, four teachers, and two trustees under the charges of sections 74 and 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. They also face charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police are still collecting evidence and finding witnesses.