MP: Hostel girls strip-searched over disposed sanitary pads

Bhopal: Girl students, inmates of a university hostel in Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, were subjected to “strip-searching” by their warden to “identify” the menstruating boarders, triggering a furore.

The bizarre incident came to light when the girls took up the matter with the vice-chancellor of the university late on Sunday.

According to the complaint lodged by the girl students of Sagar-based Dr Hari Singh Gour University, the warden of the Rani Laxmi Bai Hostel on Sunday asked them to gather at a designated place inside the hostel and then directed one after another to strip to check if any of them were passing through menstrual circle.

The warden’s alleged action followed when she noticed used sanitary pads lying around in washroom and premises of the hostel.

The girls, however, refused to speak to the media on the issue.

“The girls lodged a complaint alleging that they were strip-searched by the warden and her assistant. I have formed a committee to probe the matter. Action will taken in the matter after the probe,” university vice-chancellor R.P. Tiwari said on Monday.

He described the incident as unfortunate.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, student wing of the RSS, and other unions staged a protest on Monday with ABVP leader Jyotish Pandey asking authorities to keep the warden away from work till the probe was completed.

The leader of Congress’ student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI), Rahul Khare, submitted a memorandum to the university administration demanding that retired judges and other eminent persons be appointed to the probe committee instead of university teachers.

In order to raise awareness among teachers, they also distributed sanitary napkins to them.

Sagar Lok Sabha MP Laxminarayan Yadav called the alleged action of the warden as “shameful”, but added that it was a “small incident” and the media should not get “agitated” over it.