Teachers in Arunachal Pradesh booked for striping 88 girls as ‘punishment’

Three teachers of a girls school in Arunachal Pradesh have been booked by state police for allegedly forcing 88 girls to strip as a form of punishment for writing inappropriate words against the head teacher.

The students of class VI and VII of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Tani Happa (New Sagalee) in Papum Pare district were subjected to the humiliating treatment on November 23, according to police. The matter, however, came to light on November 27 after the victims approached All Sagalee Students Union (ASSU), who then filed an FIR with the local police.

According to the complaint, two assistant teachers and a junior teacher forced 88 students to undress before other students following the recovery of a piece of paper containing vulgar words about the head teacher and a girl student.

They sought an explanation but when none was forthcoming, they allegedly made all 88 students from the two classes undress in front of other students.

“The officer-in-charge of the (women) police station said the victims and their parents along with the teachers will be interrogated before registering a case,” SP of Papum Pare district, Tumme Amo told PTI.

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has condemned the incident and said such “heinous act” by the teachers might affect the students.

“Tempering with a child’s dignity is against the law as well as the constitution,” it said in a statement.