Karnataka NEET row: Two staffers arrested for forcing student to remove sacred thread
Kalaburagi: The Karnataka Police on Monday arrested two staffers of an examination centre for allegedly forcing student to remove his sacred thread before writing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
NEET is a nationwide entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission into undergraduate medical programmes. It is a mandatory exam, and this year’s test was held on May 4.
Kalaburagi Police Commissioner S.D. Sharanappa stated on Monday that an FIR has been registered against the two staffers following a complaint filed by Sripad Patil, a student. Patil alleged that the accused hurt religious sentiments and demanded strict action.
The case was registered late Sunday night. Commissioner Sharanappa confirmed that the arrested individuals have been identified as Sharana Gowda and Ganesh. The Station Bazar Police in Kalaburagi registered the FIR under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
The two accused were working with a private agency. Both have been arrested, and legal proceedings are underway, the commissioner added.
Minister for Science, Technology, and Minor Irrigation, N.S. Bose Raju, speaking in Raichur on Monday, said that despite clear directions from the government, some individuals are misleading others. He further stated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed strict action against those responsible for the sacred threads being removed during the examination.
The incident, which occurred at St Mary PU College in Kalaburagi on May 4, has sparked controversy. After the news broke, members of the Brahmin community staged a protest in front of the exam centre, demanding the suspension of the staffers involved.
Sripad Patil stated that he had to hand over his sacred thread to his father after staffers at the centre denied him entry while wearing it. He claimed the incident caused him mental distress, leading him to incorrectly write his registration number on the answer sheet. Protesters waited until Patil completed his exam and, upon his exit, conducted a ritual before placing the sacred thread back on him.
Earlier, on April 25, the Karnataka BJP filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission over the sacred thread row, in which students wearing janviara/janeu were denied entry to write the Common Entrance Test (CET) in the state.
In his complaint, Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka highlighted that while Hindu students wearing sacred threads were denied entry, Muslim girls wearing hijab were allowed to take up examinations.
The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasangh filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court on Saturday, condemning the removal of sacred threads from students during the Common Entrance Test (CET).
The organisation has also demanded that a re-examination be conducted. The High Court has accepted the petition and will hear the PIL on June 9.