NHRC notice to MP govt over reported strip-search of girls by hostel warden

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government following media reports that a hostel warden of Hari Singh Gour University strip-searched girls over disposed sanitary pads in the hostel premises.

The Commission took suo motu cognizance of media reports on the incident which happened on March 25 and has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of the right to dignity of the girls, who suffered mental agony and humiliation due to the unethical act by the hostel authorities.

"The officials are required to be sensitised to be careful and behave in a sensible manner while dealing with the students, especially the girl students. The hostel authorities, being custodian of the boarders, are duty bound to protect them from any kind of ill treatment and humiliation.

"No punitive measures appeared to have taken yet, which are very essential to curb the outrageous acts against the girl students," the commission said.

Reportedly, the hostel warden noticed some used sanitary pads lying around in washroom and premises of the hostel. To detect as to who might have thrown them, she directed to strip-search the girls students residing in the university hostel.

The incident came to light when the girls reportedly took up the matter with the Vice-chancellor of the University. It is stated in the report that a committee has been formed to probe the matter and to decide action to be taken against the delinquent officer, the commission said in a statement.