Strip-search of girls leads to principal's suspension

STRIP-SEARCH: Mohammad Sarfaruddin is the principal of the Modidih Girls High school.

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Keywords: Jharkhand, Modidih Girls High school

Ranchi: The principal of a Jharkhand school has been suspended for ordering that 13 young girls be stripped after another student complained that her pocket money had gone missing.

Mohammad Sarfaruddin, principal of the Modidih Girls High school at the Modidih colliery in Dhanbad, about 270 km from the state capital here, was suspended Tuesday after the school committee submitted its report.

"The report has found the principal guilty in the stripping case. The principal has been suspended and a show-cause notice has been served to three teachers involved in the incident," said Indradeo, spokesperson of the governing committee.

He said the committee had spoken to all the 13 girls involved.

The incident occurred on April 26 when a Class 8 student reported that she had lost her pocket money of Rs 55. Her classmates launched a hunt, and the issue was brought to Sarfaruddin's notice when the money was not found.

The principal's response was to ask the women teachers to physically search the girls. They were allegedly asked to gather in a room and remove their shoes and socks, and then their skirts and shirts.

The teachers apparently threatened the girls and asked them not to inform their parents, but the children did. Stunned parents reached the school to proceed to thrash both the principal and vice principal.

A police complaint was filed on various counts against the principal Sarfaruddin, vice principal Rajiv Kumar Singh and three teachers. The school was also closed for two days when the students boycotted classes.