SC notice to Centre on plea seeking probe into sanitation workers told to show photos proving menstruation

Supreme Court of India

The Supreme Court on Friday took note of a petition raising alarm over allegations that female sanitation workers at Maharashi Dayanand University (MDU) in Haryana were told to provide photographs of their private parts as evidence that they were menstruating.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan issued notices to the Centre and other authorities after hearing the plea.

Expressing concern, Justice Nagarathna remarked, “This reflects the mindset. In Karnataka, they are giving period leave. After reading this, I thought will they ask proof for giving the leave.”

She added that the episode “shows the mentality of the persons,” noting that alternative staff could have been assigned if certain workers were unable to perform heavy tasks. “We hope something good will happen in this petition,” she observed during the proceedings.

Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Vikas Singh described the matter as “a gross criminal case” and urged the court to acknowledge its gravity.

The Bar body’s plea, now scheduled for hearing on December 15, seeks directions to both the Union government and Haryana to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the alleged incident.

It also asks for guidelines safeguarding women and girls from violations of dignity, privacy, bodily autonomy and health during menstruation.

According to police, three individuals linked with MDU were booked on October 31 under accusations of sexual harassment after female sanitation workers claimed they were instructed to prove they were on their periods through pictures.

The FIR, filed at the PGIMS police station, includes charges related to criminal intimidation, sexual harassment, assault or use of criminal force on a woman, and intent to insult a woman's modesty.

The SHO stated that the accused could additionally face action under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

MDU, in its statement, confirmed that two supervisors hired on contract through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited were suspended. The university also announced an internal probe. The alleged incident unfolded on October 26, only hours before Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh was due to arrive on campus.

Three female sanitation workers reported to university authorities that the supervisors compelled them to continue cleaning despite being informed that they were “unwell.”

One worker, who said she had been employed at MDU for 11 years, shared: “We told them we could not work faster as we were unwell due to our periods, but they demanded we click photos of our private parts to prove it. When we refused, we were abused and threatened with dismissal.”

The women alleged that the supervisors claimed to be acting on orders from Assistant Registrar Shyam Sunder. Sunder, however, denied issuing any such directive.

The plea before the Supreme Court argues that the workers’ experience indicates a systemic violation of fundamental rights and warrants urgent judicial intervention.

With PTI inputs