Uma Poddar, the warden of Karabi Girls' Hostel at the University in Santiniketan, was granted bail today by a Bolpur court where she was produced along with the girl's parents, who were arrested on charges of intimidation and trespassing. Manoj Mistry and Poonam Singh too got bail.
The warden's arrest in the incident that sparked an outrage came even as the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) slapped a notice on the West Bengal government asking it to probe the matter and submit a report in the next 10 days.
Describing the incident as 'deplorable', Visva Bharati university vice-chancellor Sushanta Dasgupta said the warden has been suspended.
The warden was arrested for compelling the 10-year fifth-class student, who wet her bed, to drink her urine squeezed from the bedsheet on Saturday night, Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Bolpur Prasanta Chowdhury said today.
The arrest was made following a complaint lodged with the Bolpur police station by the student's father, a resident of Mokrampur village, near Santiiniketan. The father had rushed to the hostel on Saturday night and took her home.
Alleging she was forced to drink her own urine, with salt added, the girl replied in the affirmative when asked by reporters whether she was tortured.
The Visva Bharati authorities has formed a four-member committee to look into the matter and submit a report.
In a notice sent to the Secretary, School Education, West Bengal government, the NCPCR also asked the department to take further necessary action with regard to the incident.
Noting that it got a complaint on Saturday about the incident, the Commission said it has taken cognizance of the matter.
University sources claimed the warden had made the girl lick the bedsheet she had wetted and had not forced her to drink her urine.
The warden had told the distraught mother of the student that what she did was 'treatment to stop a bad habit'.
