Thane: The Shahapur police have booked eight individuals, including the principal, four teachers, and a female attendant, for allegedly forcing a girl to strip and undergo a physical check after bloodstains were found in a school bathroom. The police said that they have arrested the principal and a female attendant in this matter so far. Both will be produced in court on Thursday.
The incident took place at a school in Shahapur, Thane district, on Tuesday and sparked widespread outrage among parents.
According to sources, after bloodstains were found in the school bathroom, the administration summoned several girls—mostly from Classes 5 to 10—for questioning. Some students were allegedly asked if they were menstruating, while a few were reportedly forced to remove their underwear for inspection.
Police said that on July 8, the principal gathered female students from Classes 5 to 10 in the school hall and showed them photographs of the bloodstains, asking if they had menstruated. Later, a female attendant allegedly took some girls aside and examined their private parts after instructing them to undress, thereby outraging their modesty.
Following the incident, the girl informed her parents, who first approached the school to inquire about the conduct and later went to the police to register a complaint.
An FIR has been lodged under Sections 74 and 76 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 11 (sexual harassment), 12 (punishment for sexual harassment), and 21 (punishment for failure to report or record a case) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
As a result, the students were reportedly left mentally traumatized. Based on the complaint filed by the parents, a case has been registered against the principal, four teachers, one female attendant, and two trustees.
Mukesh Dhage, a Police Inspector from Shahapur Police Station, confirmed that the incident occurred at the school. "We have arrested the principal and a female attendant in this matter so far. We will produce them in court on Thursday." Said Dhage.
