KOLLAM: Police in Kerala on Tuesday registered a case in connection with an alleged incident, where young women and girls who appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, were asked to remove undergarments to be allowed to write the exam in Kollam district.
Police said a case has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) on the basis of a complaint of a girl who allegedly faced the humiliating experience while appearing for the NEET exam held at a private educational institute at Ayur in the district on Sunday.
The case was registered after a team of women officers recorded the statement of the girl, they said, adding that an investigation has been launched and the friskers who were allegedly involved in the act would be arrested soon.
The issue came to light on Monday when the father of a 17-year-old girl told the media that his daughter, who was sitting for her first-ever NEET exam, was yet to come out of the traumatic experience wherein she had to sit for the over 3-hour-long exam without a brassiere.
The father had told a TV channel that his daughter was dressed as per the dress code mentioned in the NEET bulletin which did not say anything about innerwear.
Condemning the incident, various youth organisations had held protests seeking action against the culprits.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also ordered an investigation into the incident.
The Commission has directed the Kollam Rural SP to file a report within 15 days.
Meanwhile, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu has shot off a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking strong against the agency, which allegedly forced girl students to remove their undergarments before entering the NEET exam centre.
In her letter to the Union Minister, the Kerala minister expressed "dismay and shock" at the news of "naked assault on the dignity and honour of the girl students".
Bindu said an agency that has been entrusted with the conduct of the examination allegedly forced the girl participants to strip before entering the test centre for reasons known only to themselves.
"The shame and shock of this unexpected turn of events have affected the morale and composure of the students whose performance in the test was consequently affected," she said and strongly recommended action against the agency to prevent future occurrences of a similar nature and sought the Union Minister's intervention in the matter.
"I write to place on record that we take strong exception to such inhuman behaviour from an agency that has only been entrusted with the task of conducting the examination in a fair manner", the minister said.