Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 11: The Maharashtra government on Thursday assured firm and immediate action in connection with the deeply disturbing incident where schoolgirls were allegedly stripped for menstruation checks at a school in Thane district. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed stringent measures against all those involved, including the school principal and staff members.
The assurance was made in the state Legislative Assembly after Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan addressed concerns raised by opposition lawmakers. Congress MLAs Nana Patole and Jyoti Gaikwad, along with NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad, condemned the incident and demanded swift accountability. Patole termed the incident “shameful” and said it had no place in a progressive state like Maharashtra.
Awhad called for the arrest of the school principal, while Gaikwad pressed for holding school staff accountable and improving menstrual hygiene infrastructure in schools, including access to clean water and sanitary napkin vending machines.
Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar also voiced deep concern and urged the government to initiate legal proceedings and submit a detailed report to the House.
The government’s statement came a day after police arrested the school principal and a female attendant in connection with the incident. Four teachers and two trustees have also been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The arrests followed allegations that around ten girls were forced to undress and undergo menstruation checks after bloodstains were discovered in the school’s washroom.
Police investigations revealed that after spotting the stains on Tuesday, school authorities summoned female students from Classes 5 to 10 to a hall where images of the stained tiles were projected. Students were asked to identify who among them was menstruating. Those who admitted to having their period were made to give thumb impressions. Others were allegedly taken to the washroom and forcibly examined.
One parent reported that the principal confronted her daughter, accused her of lying about her menstrual status, and forcibly took her thumb impression. The incident came to light when several students informed their parents about the ordeal, leading to protests from guardians and immediate police intervention. The arrested individuals were scheduled to be presented in court on Thursday.
The incident has sparked statewide outrage, with child rights activists, political leaders, and civil society groups condemning the treatment of the students and calling for systemic reforms. Many are urging the government to strengthen menstrual health education and gender sensitivity training across all schools to ensure such violations never occur again.