Assam Police Order Inquiry Over Allegations of Forcing Brahmin Student to Remove Sacred Thread at NEET Centre

Guwahati: Assam Police have ordered an inquiry against a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and a havildar over allegations that a Brahmin student was compelled to remove his sacred thread during frisking at a NEET re-test centre in Assam’s Nalbari district on Sunday. The move follows a magisterial probe by the Nalbari district administration in which the student identified the police personnel allegedly involved. Based on the initial findings, havildar Paban Kalita of Belsor Police Station has been placed under reserve close. Police officials said departmental proceedings against Nalbari DSP (security and intelligence) Kusum Basumatary may be initiated depending on the outcome of a separate inquiry being conducted by an IPS officer. Nalbari district commissioner Nibedan Das Patowary said on Monday there was no valid justification for asking the candidate to remove his sacred thread during security checks. He said the magisterial inquiry had been completed and the student and his parents were heard. “We called the entire police personnel present and the frisking team and told the boy to identify those personnel who asked him to remove the sacred thread. He identified the duo and they apologized,” said Patowary. Patowary said the on-duty personnel directed the candidate to remove the thread and hand it to his mother before entering the examination centre, though the student later appeared in the exam. He added that no instructions had been issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the district administration, or the police administration requiring candidates to remove sacred threads before entry, and that officials deployed on examination duty had been briefed on permitted and prohibited items. Nalbari SSP Bibekananda Das said an additional SP, an IPS officer, has been assigned to probe the incident from the police side. “Based on the report of the enquiry and evidence, department proceedings will be initiated,” said Das. The student’s mother, Runumi Bhagawati, said the family had replaced the sacred thread before the re-test to comply with rules on metallic objects, removing any ring from it. “We changed his sacred thread before the NEET re-exam and removed the ring from it, as ornaments can not be carried inside the exam centre. Still, during the security check, those who were doing the checkind removed the sacred thread and handed it over to us. Our son felt nervous,” Runumi said