Student forced to drink urine: PM to get contempt notice

New Delhi, Jul 13: Prime Minister

who is also the Chancellor of the Visva-Bharati University can be served a contempt notice in the case relating to one schoolgirl at Santiniketan being forced to drink her own urine, the Calcutta High Court said today.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Advocate Tapas Kumar Bhanja. His contention is that Uma Poddar, warden of the Karabi hostel attached to the university-run Patha Bhavan wherein the victim Punita was studying, should not have insisted on the so-called traditional cure for bed-wetting.

He argued that the warden's action amounted to corporal punishment which is banned in West Bengal. The incident had sparked nationwide outrage. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a report from the state government.

Besides the PM, the petitioner was directed to issue contempt notices to Visva-Bharati Vice Chancellor Sushanta Dutta Gupta, Registrar Mani Mukut Mitra, the hostel warden and state Education Secretary Bikram Sen.

The High Court has asked all these persons to be present on Jul 7 in person or through an advocate.

Yesterday the university apologised to Punita. Visva-Bharati allowed her to be a day-boarder as she was reluctant to return to the hostel.

OneIndia News