New Delhi:
The Visva Bharati University today apologised for a hostel warden of a school under it forcing a Class V girl student to drink her own urine as punishment for bed-wetting. The incident had led to widespread outrage.
"The university univocally regrets the traumatic experience of a Patha Bhavana student Puneeta Singh at the hands of warden Uma Poddar," its Registrar Manimukut Mitra said in a statement.
"Visva Bharati has allowed the girl to be a day-boarder, as an exceptional case," the statement said.
Earlier in the day, the registrar issued another statement saying to restore confidence of students and guardians, the university would change the practice of having wardens in hostels.
This was preceded by the girl, her father Manoj Mishra and mother Poonam Singh being summoned by the probe committee of the university to record their statement.
The girl's father told reporters later, "We have talked to the four members of the probe committee. They recorded our version. We told whatever we know."
On the offer to take their daughter back as a day scholar, he said "My daughter is still insisting on not returning to Patha Bhavan."
After the university expressed regret, posters in support of Uma Poddar, the hostel warden, appeared in university campus claiming there was a conspiracy to frame her.