3 Arrested After Row Erupts Over Removal Of Janeu During CET Exam In Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Three staff members of Krupanidhi College in Bengaluru were arrested late on Friday on charges of removing the Janeu (Yajnopaveetha or sacred thread) of a few students who appeared for the Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) for admission to various professional degree courses this year.

According to police, a case was registered at Madiwala police station during the day against Krupanidhi College following a complaint filed by a parent of one of the candidates.

The arrested persons have been identified by the police as Krupanidhi College examination supervisor Sudhakar, first-grade assistant Saritha and room supervisor Girija.

According to the complainant, his son had arrived at the college on April 23 to appear for the CET Physics exam. The college staff assigned to the CET exam duty asked the complainant's son to remove the Janeu that he was wearing while checking the candidates. The complaint alleged that this hurt their religious sentiments.

The Janeu is a sacred thread worn by Hindu males, especially Brahmins, across the left shoulder and under the right arm, symbolising initiation into education and spiritual life.

Anirudh R Rao, who appeared for the exam, said he reached the centre around 9.40 am and was asked to remove his sacred thread before being allowed to enter the examination hall.

“They told me that if I did not remove it, I would not be allowed to write the exam. I called my father, and even he was unsure what to do,” he said, adding that other students were also asked to remove it, leaving him with no option but to comply.

According to the student, nearly seven candidates were wearing the sacred thread, and most of them removed it under similar circumstances. He added that the incident left him disturbed and affected his performance in the Physics examination.

"After the exam, I informed my mother, who came to the centre and questioned the authorities. This is a religious matter, and we cannot remove it. It is like a part of our body,” he said.

BJP leaders led by Opposition Leader R Ashoka and MP Tejaswi Surya met Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on Friday. Ashoka criticised the state government, accusing it of being insensitive to religious practices and failing to act promptly.

Ashoka, a former minister, said students were distressed by the incident and alleged that police had delayed registering a case.

Earlier, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education, M C Sudhakar, had said that if any such incident had taken place, a report would be sought and stringent action would be taken.

"The infrastructure of both government and private colleges is utilised while conducting the Common Entrance Test. The services of staff from various institutions are also used on a largescale. If any staff member of any institution has acted in an extreme or inappropriate manner, action will be taken," he said.

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