Thiruvananthapuram, July 19 (BPNS)
The frisking incident at a private college in Kollam during the recently concluded National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) last Sunday has stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The exam center, Mar Thomas Institute of Information and Technology at Ayur, is in the eye of the storm after some women candidates complained that they were forced to remove their innerwear before sitting for the NEET exam.
While the National Women’s Commission (NWC) demanded a fair investigation in the matter, police took five women staff – three associating with an external agency and the other two of the institute – into custody under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Meanwhile, reports are also there that the National Testing Agency, which is conducting the NEET exam, has decided to send a team to the state to conduct an inquiry. NTA, which on the other day, had stated that it received no such reports, had to intervene in the issue after it grabbed national attention.
According to police, the women were taken into custody upon a case registered under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (uttering any word or making gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“Three of them were associated with the external agency – Star Agency – which was deputed to frisk the students and two others are staff of the institute where the exam was held. They are being questioned to ascertain their alleged role in the incident,” said R Nishanthini, DIG, who is overseeing the probe.
It is also said that the team deputed for frisking had no previous experience and they were a team of 10. The police are said to have collected the CCTV footage and have recorded the statements of parents and candidates.
It was on the other day that the father of a 17-year-old girl approached the Chadayamangalam Police to register a complaint against the authorities for humiliating her daughter in the name of frisking.
It is learned that more girls had approached the police with similar complaints.
However, the protest march organized by various student organizations against the backdrop of the incident turned violent on Tuesday after some protesters damaged window panes of the college.
The other day, in a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu expressed “dismay and shock” at the “naked assault on the dignity and honor of the girl students” who attended the exam at the particular center.
She added that she “strongly recommend” action against the agency that was in charge of conducting the examination.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also ordered an investigation into the incident and directed Kollam Rural SP to file a report within 15 days. The NWC has directed the concerned to appraise it on the action taken within three days.
