Students strip-searched in Indore school for mobile phone: High court issues notice to MP government

Indore, Aug 09
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday issued a notice to the state government in connection with an incident in a school in Indore where some students were allegedly strip-searched by a teacher to find out who among them brought a mobile phone to class.
Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Duppala Venkata Ramana of the Indore bench of the high court issued notice to the state government on a PIL filed by social activist Chinmoy Mishra.The notice sought a report within a week from the state government on the steps taken in connection with the alleged incident.
During the hearing, Mishra’s lawyer Abhinav Dhanodkar claimed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act provisions have not been complied with in the case as yet, though parents filed a police complaint on August 2.
The PIL sought that compliance of the POCSO Act be ensured in the case as well as appropriate directions be issued for quick action in such incidents.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on August 17.
On August 2, a teacher allegedly took at least five girl students to the washroom and strip-searched them after a mobile phone rang in a classroom of a government higher secondary school.
Parents of these children lodged a complaint with the Malharganj police station, accusing the teacher of assault as well during the strip-search.
Post the incident, the teacher was removed from the school and attached to the district education official.