Jharkhand principal ‘orders’ 80 girls to remove shirts, probe launched

The principal of a private school in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district allegedly ordered 80 girls of Class X to remove their shirts for writing messages on them, prompting the administration to initiate an inquiry, an official said today.

The girls were allegedly forced to return home in their blazers without the shirts beneath. The incident took place in a school in Digwadih under Jorapokhar police station area on Friday, Dhanbad DC Madhvi Mishra said.

The parents complained to the DC that Class X students, after completing their examination, were celebrating ‘pen day’ by writing messages on each others’ shirts.

The principal objected to the celebration and asked the students to remove their shirts, even though they sought an apology. All students were sent back home in their blazers without the shirts, the parents told the DC. “Several guardians lodged complaints against the principal. We also talked to some of the victims. The administration has taken the matter seriously and a committee has been set up to investigate the matter,” Mishra said. Jharia MLA Ragini Singh also accompanied the parents to the DC’s office.