Student asked to remove innerwear to appear for NEET, files complaint against examiner for staring inappropriately

PALAKKAD: A girl student has alleged that she was forced to remove her innerwear to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or (NEET) on May 6 in Palakkad in Kerala. She also claimed that the external observer present for the center stared at her 'inappropriately' while she was appearing for the exam. The girl has filed a police complaint in connection with the allegations and a case under IPC section 509 (eve teasing by word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) was registered. The police have begun the investigation into the allegations.

The complainant along with some other girls, who appeared for the NEET conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at the Lion's school at Koppa, had to remove their brassieres as it contained metal hook before writing the test. According to the complainant, she was not comfortable writing the examination as a male external observer kept staring at her 'inappropriately.'

"The invigilator came and stood before her several times. He did not look at her face.. But at her chest. She tried to cover herself with the question paper. My sister was mentally tensed. The invigilator came near her two to three times. She found it difficult to write the exam properly, she was uncomfortable," the sister of the complainant said.

After her complaint, police said they will also be speaking to other students who appeared for the test in the same school. "We are trying to speak to more witnesses who appeared for the test in the school. We are trying to get the list of other students who wrote the test in this school," police sources were quoted as saying to news agency PTI.

The CBSE has however, said that it has not received any complaint in connection with any such incident. "We are enquiring and a report is expected by next week," CBSE Regional officer Tarun Kumar said over the police complaint. 

Last year also, a controversy had erupted over NEET after a girl student from Kannur had complained that she was forced to remove her inner wear to write the test.

Over one lakh students had appeared for the test from Kerala this year.