Thaindian News

Kolkata, July (IANS) In spite of repeated requests by the Visva Bharati University to return to its Patha Bhavan school, the ten-year-old girl hosteller who was made to lick her own urine as a punishment for bedwetting Wednesday shifted to another school.

“We have admitted her to the Bolpur High School. We have asked for a transfer certificate from Visva Bharati and informed them that it is not possible for us to send her back to the institution,” the girl’s father, Manoj Mistri, said.

The university, earlier expressing regret over the incident, had requested the parents to send the girl back tp Path Bhavan residential school. The authorities had even visited the student’s residence, urging her to come back, but the parents turned down the appeal.

“If I tried to put pressure on my daughter to go back to the same institution, I would have been more guilty than the hostel warden, Uma Poddar,” said Mistri.

The incident occurred July 7 when Poddar, while on an inspection, pulled up the girl for bedwetting. She allegedly then sprinkled salt on the urine-soaked bedsheet and made the girl lick it as a punishment.

Following the incident, the university set up a four-member fact-finding committee, headed by former dean of students’ welfare Aruna Mukherjee, to probe the matter.

Acting on the report, the university relieved Poddar of her duty as warden.

The incident drew severe criticism from all quarters and was also taken notice of by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought detailed reports from the university and the state government.