Around a month after a few students of Shree Sahjanand Girls Institute of Bhuj were allegedly made to strip to check if they were menstruating on that given day, Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kachh University (KSKVKU) served the college a notice on Wednesday, asking why its affiliation with the varsity should not be terminated. The action comes after the state education department issued instructions to the university to take “strict action” against those responsible. “We have served them a show-cause notice and have given them 24 hours to respond,” said Professor Darshana Dolakia, Vice-Chancellor of KSKVKU. On the notice being served now, the V-C said: “In the first stage, the University took measures such as getting people responsible for the incident rusticated from service, seeking an apology from trustees of the college and asking the college to change its rules for students. Later on, there was oral instruction from the state education department, based on which we have taken this step now.” However, the department issued written instructions to the university on March 5. “Based on the inquiry report of the committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor, the state education department issued instructions to take strict action against the institute as well as the persons involved in the violation. Written instructions were issued to the VC on March 5,” said Anju Sharma, Principal Secretary Education. Sources revealed that after written instructions issued to the university in the first week of March, the department was following up the matter regularly. When asked if 24 hours time given to the college for responding to the show-cause notice was reasonable, Prof Dholakia said: “There is very little time. Therefore, we have given them short notice.” The move comes around five weeks after SSGI principal Rita Raninga, hostel coordinator Anita Chauhan, hostel supervisor Rameelaben and peon Naynaben allegedly took 66 students from their classrooms to toilet block and made them strip to check if they were in their monthly menstruation period on February 11. The institute, run by Swaminarayan sect in Bhuj, had separate rules for girls in menstrual periods, requiring them to live separately from others and also sitting at designated place in classrooms. Students were also required to enter details of their menstrual cycles in a register that the institute used to manage. After the students complained, police booked the principal, the hostel coordinator and supervisor as well as the peon on charges, including sexual harassment, extortion and criminal intimidation, and were arrested. SSGI could not be contacted immediately for a response. The V-C said that the varsity did not receive any response from the institute till Wednesday evening.
