Muzaffarnagar: Warden strips students naked to ‘check for menstrual blood’

Students of a residential school allege they were stripped naked by their warden, who was checking for menstrual blood. (ANI Photo)

The warden of a residential school in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh was suspended on Thursday for threatening and strip-searching around 70 girls to “check for menstrual blood”, reported news agency ANI. The students, who alleged they were stripped naked, demanded strict action against her. The incident occurred after the warden was angered by specs of blood she noticed in the bathroom of a residential school, according to NDTV. The girls allege they were made to sit naked in the classroom during the search.

“There was no teacher around. We were called downstairs (from the hostel). Madam made us to take off our clothes saying she will beat us if we did not. We are kids, what could we do? She would have beaten us had we not obeyed her,” one of the students was quoted by PTI as saying. The parents of the victims have filed a complaint against the warden. According to NDTV, the parents allege the warden “often hits the girls and blackmails them”.

The state government has initiated an inquiry into the incident. “Concerned officials have been asked to enquire and take action against those responsible,” Cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma told ANI.

The warden has, however, denied these allegations. “No one asked them to remove clothes. All this is a conspiracy by the staff because they do not want me to stay here. I had been asked to check whether the staff were performing their duties. I am strict, that is why they hate me,” she is quoted as saying by PTI. Since the incident, out of 65 students in the school, 35 have left. According to District Primary Education Officer Chander Kesh Yadav, multiple reports of harassment by the warden have surfaced, reported PTI.