SIT formed to investigate Bhuj hostel horror

Kutch Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the Bhuj case in which 68 female students at Shree Sahjanand Girls Institute were asked to remove their inner-wears to check if they were menstruating.

On Friday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had taken cognisance of a media report of the incident in which 68 girls in the institute hostel were forced to undergo 'strip' test to check if they were menstruating.

"The Commission is disturbed by the report of this incident at Sahjanand Girls' Institute in Bhuj, Gujarat. The report also states that the Kutch University authorities have taken the matter for internal query and based on the finding they would take further actions," read a statement from the NCW."

"NCW will set up an inquiry team and visit the girls at the institute hostel, to speak and inquire about the incident. NCW has also appraised the Kutch University in-charge Vice-Chancellor Darshna Dholakia and Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha to look into the matter thoroughly and report to the Commission at the earliest on their action taken reports to date," said the statement.

NCW has also written to Sahjanand Girls' Institute Trustee Pravin Pindora and Principal Rita Raniga to "give an explanation of this shameful exercise" that has taken place in their institute.

"The Commission encourages the girls from the institute to come forward and speak without fear about their grievances from this experience to the finding authority, or on any other similar incidents of exploitation if occurred to them in the past, and was not addressed before," the statement read.