Several students were forced to take off their bras when appearing for the NEET medical entrance exam in India after the metal hooks on their bras beeped during security checks. At least five women, who subjected the girls to this humiliation, were arrested by the police.

The National Women’s Commission in India has taken notice of the issue, while the police filed a case against those who had been part of the incident.

The incident occurred at the Mar Thoma Institute of Information Technology.

The girls who experienced the incident spoke about their experience to NDTV.

“They asked us to remove our bra and put it on a table,” one of the girls said. “All the bras were bunched together. We didn’t even know if we could get ours before we returned.”

According to one of the complaints filed, the security personnel told the girls: “Is your future or innerwear big for you? Just remove it and don’t waste our time.”

The exam centre superintendent said that the complaint was “fictitious” while the National Testing Agency denied all allegations and formed a team to investigate the matter. The agency added that the NEET dress code did not make allowances for any such activity.

The incident triggered outrage in India. The Higher Education Minister R Bindu wrote to Union Education Minister regarding the incident, saying that it was a “naked assault on the dignity and honour of the girl students.”

She also added that the shame and shock of the event had affected the performance, morale, and composure of the students appearing in the exam.