NEET frisking: After Kerala, another incident surfaces in Maharashtra's Washim city

As the frisking at a National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) UG exam centre in Kerala invites outrage over some girls being asked to remove their innerwear, a similar incident was reported in Maharashtra as well. It was some Muslim girl students who alleged that they had been asked to remove their burqas and hijabs at a NEET exam centre in the state's Washim district.

Aggrieved parents filed a complaint with the police and a probe is underway. However, on Tuesday, July 19, the principal of the college which was the exam centre and where the incident occurred, stated that Muslim candidates who were asked to remove their religious clothing could have taken prior permission to wear them, as per PTI.

It was at the Matoshri Shantabai Gote College where the incident took place. The principal of the college, GS Kubde said that five Muslim girls were asked to remove their burqas and hijabs before entering the exam hall. Kubde also stated that they had agreed to do so after talking with the officials.

The principal has alleged that the father of one of the girls "blew the issue out of proportion" when his daughter came out of the exam centre to hand over her burqa to him. "All five girls appeared for the exam. They could have approached the exam centre's head for permission to wear burqas two hours before the test began," he said.

On July 18, two girls had approached the local police alleging that staff at the Gote College made objectionable remarks, like threatening to cut their burqa if they didn't remove it. A aggrieved student said that the college authorities first allowed them on the premises for the exam and, then, later told them to remove their hijab and burqa outside, adding that staff also entered into arguments with them.

"We asked them to check us and then allow us in, but the concerned staff spoke to us disrespectfully and their behaviour was not good," the student said. The parent of one of the students, who allegedly faced the ordeal, said they had filed a complaint with the Washim City police station and wanted action to be taken to against the college for acting in an "arbitrary" manner, as per PTI.

The case is being investigated by Inspector Rafiq Shaikh of Washim City police station. He has informed that NEET was conducted at six centres in Washim City on Sunday, July 17.