Kerala NEET innerwear row: All 7 arrested released on bail

Thiruvananthapuram, July 21:  All seven persons, arrested by the Kerala Police in connection with the NEET girl aspirants innerwear removal row in the state, on Thursday got bail from a lower court in Kollam district.

The court granted bail after it was told that all what the arrested did was to follow the rules of the testing agency.

Earlier on Thursday morning, the police arrested the Mar Thoma Institute of IT's Vice Principal and NEET exam Centre Superintendent, Priji Kurian Issac and National Testing Agency's obsserver Dr Shamnad.

Earlier, two women staff members of the college and three others of the testing agency - Star Training Academy were arrested in connection with the matter.

All of them were charged under the IPC's Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

Apparently, NTA, which is responsible for the conduct of NEET examination, had given the contract to a private agency in Thiruvananthapuram, which, in turn, sub-contracted it to another agency at Karunagapally.

Ten untrained personnel employed by the agency, according to the students, were involved in the incident.

Following the incident, the Church-based college has come under heavy duress from protesting student organisations of the leading political parties in the state.

On Monday, a parent termed the happening "totally unacceptable" and said that he had no other option but to lodge a complaint.

"We dropped my daughter around 12 noon at the examination centre and later the exam officials asked for a shawl. After her exam, she told us that as there was a metal object in her innerwear, she and many other students were asked to remove such clothing. The college where the exam were held said it had no role, as these things were done by an agency who was entrusted with the task," he said.

As these candidates who had to undergo such a humiliation were under tremendous duress and they were unable to perform well because of this insensitive behaviour of the centre officials, the parent added.

Some of NEET girl aspirants were purportedly made to remove their innerwear during the Sunday's examination at the centre.