NEET UG 2022 row: Kerala police files case after aspirants asked to remove innerwear, NTA calls incident 'fictitious'

During the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET UG exam on July 17, a girl from Kerala alleged that she was asked to remove her bra to enter the exam centre in Kollam district. She lodged a case on the same today. 

Police said a case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code, IPC Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) on the basis of a complaint of a girl who allegedly faced the humiliating experience while appearing for the NEET exam held at a private educational institute at Ayur in Kollam district on Sunday.

The alleged incident took place at a centre in Ayyur, 55 km from Thiruvananthapuram. This reached the public eye on Monday when the father of a 17-year-old girl told the media that his daughter, who was sitting for her first-ever NEET exam, was yet to come out of the traumatic experience wherein she had to sit for the over 3-hour-long exam without a bra.

The father added that the daughter was dressed as per the dress code mentioned in the NEET bulletin which did not specify anything about undergarments. Condemning the incident, various youth organisations held protests seeking action against those involved.

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has directed the Kollam Rural Superintendent of Police to file a report within 15 days.

Kerala minister, R Bindhu, has called on the centre to act against this 'inhuman and shocking' incident. She has written to union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to 'place on record we take strong exception to such inhuman behaviour.' The state human rights commission has sought a report.

The National Testing Agency, NTA, however, has called the incident 'fictitious' and said it had received no such complaints.

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