Stripping girl students: School principal, teachers and staff in Thane get bail; but court says the act is shocking
The accused had been booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act
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The applicant is not at flight risk. The apprehension of the prosecution can be taken care of by imposing stringent terms and conditions," the court said (Archive)WHILE THE principal and teachers at a private school in Thane district who were arrested for stripping girl students to check whether they were menstruating were granted bail on Monday, the court said the act is shocking. It said the argument that it was done to deter students and make them aware of hygiene is not sustainable. The special court in Kalyan granted bail to the principal and five teachers and staffers of the school. They were arrested on July 9 and 10 and have been in jail since.
During the bail hearing, the principal and staffers had argued that the act was to discipline and deter the students from throwing pads in the washroom, causing it to choke. They submitted that the intention was only to make them aware of hygiene.
“Prima facie considering the allegations, there is not even a suggestion of sexual intent. The act is shocking and the arguments that it was done to deter students and make them aware of hygiene is not sustainable. The victim girls were forcefully checked against their consent whether they were having a menstrual cycle. It would be pertinent to note here that though the act is shocking, no purpose will be served by detaining her behind the bars,” the special court said in one of the orders. The court noted that the principal is a 62-year-old woman and other staffers are women too, with no criminal antecedents.
“There is nothing to recover from her. There are no antecedents. The applicant is not at flight risk. The apprehension of the prosecution can be taken care of by imposing stringent terms and conditions,” the court said. The court ordered them to be released on a bond of Rs 15,000.
The accused had been booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The complaint by one of the parents had said that the girl students were taken to the bathroom and they were asked to strip to check which students are menstruating after a blood-stained fingerprint was found on the toilet wall.
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