Acting on two separate investigation reports, Bidar Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma has recommended the dismissal of the principal and a staff member of Sai Spoorthi PU College in connection with the alleged denial of entry to a student wearing a ‘Janivara’ or ‘sacred thread’ to appear for the Common Entrance Test (CET).

The reports, submitted by the Assistant Commissioner and the Deputy Director of Pre-University Education, found Principal Chandrashekhar Biradar and Second Division Assistant Satish Pawar responsible for mishandling the situation. The Deputy Commissioner has directed the Chairperson/Secretary of Sai Deepa Education Trust, which manages the college, to remove both individuals from service.

In a letter addressed to the Executive Director of the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on Friday, the Deputy Commissioner outlined the findings of the investigation. She noted that KEA guidelines prohibit male candidates from wearing metal objects such as necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets inside the examination hall.

“According to the investigation reports, the student should have been allowed into the examination hall after proper frisking to determine whether the thread he was wearing contained metal or was a simple cotton sacred thread,” the Deputy Commissioner wrote.

The reports detailed that the student, Suchivrat Kulkarni, arrived at the examination centre at 9.55 a.m. and was initially cleared by a Home Guard and police personnel. However, he was stopped during a second round of frisking by Satish Pawar due to the visible ‘Janivara’. Principal Biradar was then called to the scene, but instead of resolving the issue, Pawar merely asked students to cooperate for the smooth conduct of the exam and left the area.

The investigative officers reviewed CCTV camera footage and interviewed the personnel present during the incident. The student, Kulkarni, reportedly refused to remove the sacred thread, citing religious reasons.

Additionally, the Deputy Commissioner said that a show-cause notice has been issued to Moddasir, the RFO of Aurad (B), who was also assigned examination duties that day. Further action will be taken based on the officer’s response to the notice, she added.