Jharkhand: Over 100 girls asked to remove shirts in private school as punishment

DC forms a committee to investigate the matter; the parents demand resignation and arrest of accused school principal

In a shocking incident, the principal of a private school in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district was accused of ordering more than 100 Class 10 girls to remove their shirts for writing messages on them.

It was the last day of the students in school on Thursday before the board exams and the students wanted to make it memorable with their friends.

The Class 10 girls wrote good wishes on each other’s shirts. However, the act did not go down well with the school principal and he instructed the girls to remove their shirts.

After removing the shirt, no students were allowed to wear a shirt and they were told to wear blazers when they went to home. As per the sources, the students kept crying and pleading to the school administration but they did not pay any attention.

After reaching home, the students narrated the ordeal to their parents accusing the school principal of mental harassment.

The parents visited the office of Madhvi Mishra, Deputy Commissioner, Dhanbad demanding strict action against the school principal for the action.

The parents said their daughters are upset with the incident asserting that the principal did not understand what kind of effect it will have on the mental health of the students. “They were just celebrating Pen Day and if the school had any objection to doing so, then the parents should have been informed first. However, they were sent home after removing their shirts. Do our girls have no respect? We know how much shameful it was for the girls to reach home like that. What if the girls had taken some wrong step? They have their board exams now and they are already under mental pressure. This has increased their tension,” a parent said.

The parents demand the arrest of the school principal and her resignation from the post.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA MLA Ragini Singh also reached the DC’s office with the parents and demanded action.

While speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Mishra said: “The parents have come to meet me in the Collectorate today regarding this matter and we have set up a committee having a district education officer, social welfare officer, sub-divisional magistrate and local police station. Today, they have scrutinised the CCTV footage but we are still awaiting the report from the committee. Whatever findings would be there in the report, we will take the action accordingly.”

Published - January 12, 2025 04:40 am IST