Four teachers of a school at Kunhimangalam here were suspended pending inquiry into an alleged incident of removal of innerwear of a girl student before she appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on May 7.
The management of the TISK English Medium School at Kovvappuram at Kunhimangalam said the teachers entrusted with the task of frisking students before they entered the examination hall were placed under suspension for a month pending investigation. The suspended teachers have been identified as Sheeja, Safeena, Bindu, and Shahina.
The decision to suspend the teachers was given in writing during the talks between the school management and leaders of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) at the school in the morning following a protest staged by DYFI workers to the school demanding action against those responsible for the incident of removing the brassiere of a student before the examination as part of enforcing the dress regulations for candidates appearing for the CBSE-administered NEET examination.
The alleged incident was widely condemned by students organisations and youth outfits and political leaders. The student who appeared for the examination had alleged that she had undergone the harrowing experience of being asked to remove her brassiere before she was allowed to enter the examination hall set up at the school. There were also incidents of the examination officials asking girl students to change their clothes as part of enforcing the dress code.
Meanwhile, the CBSE in its clarification issued on Tuesday said the incident at the TISK English Medium School was "unfortunate" and apparently due to a few "overzealous" frisking staff of the school involved in the process. The clarification informed that the CBSE had advised the school Principal to tender an unconditional apology to the candidate.
The school Principal is not immediately available for comment. In another development, the Pariyaram police station registered a case in connection with the alleged incident. The police said the case was registered against the school staff on frisking duty under Indian Penal Code Sections 405 and 409 (criminal breach of trust). A woman police officer visited the house of the students and recorded her statement on the incident, the police said.
