Dalit women sanitation workers at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak (Haryana), allege heinous violation of dignity and privacy, casteist and gender-based harassment by supervisors. Rights groups, including DASAM, condemns the incident; say the case exposes systemic abuse in India’s contractual sanitation labour sector; demands criminal prosecution, court-monitored probe, and structural reforms.

Groundxero | Nov 3, 2025 

The Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) has issued a scathing condemnation of what it described as an “atrocious violation of women’s dignity, bodily autonomy, and privacy” at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak (Haryana), where Dalit women sanitation workers were allegedly forced to provide photographic “proof” of menstruation by university supervisors.

The alleged incident took place on October 26, 2025, when several women sanitation workers—mostly from Dalit communities—were cleaning the university’s sports complex ahead of Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh’s visit.

Despite informing their supervisors that they were unwell due to menstruation, the women were allegedly threatened with dismissal if they failed to continue working. Two male supervisors, Vitender and Vinod Hooda, along with Assistant Registrar Shyam Sunder, allegedly demanded that the workers send photographs of their private parts and sanitary pads as “proof” of menstruation.

“Such a demand represents a grotesque abuse of power and an obscene intrusion into the most intimate and private aspects of women’s lives,” DASAM said in its statement. “This incident reflects systemic casteist and patriarchal control that continues to define India’s informal labour sectors,” said Dasam.

FIR Filed, But Demands for Court-Monitored Probe

Following public outrage, an FIR has been registered against the three accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for offences related to sexual harassment, assault, and criminal intimidation, as well as under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The university administration has reportedly suspended the accused survivors, but DASAM maintains that suspension alone is insufficient, calling for a transparent, independent, and time-bound investigation monitored by the judiciary to prevent institutional bias and retaliation against the victims.

The rights group also urged the Haryana government, National Commission for Women, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take immediate action.

“A Casteist and Patriarchal Crime”

DASAM described the incident as “a casteist and patriarchal crime” rooted in India’s exploitative system of contractual and informal labour. “Thousands of Dalit women sanitation workers face daily indignities, wage theft, and sexual harassment across public institutions,” DASAM noted. “They are treated as disposable labour, denied security and dignity, and silenced by fear of retaliation,” the organization said.

The group said the MDU case reveals institutional complicity, where powerful officials perpetuate caste and gender hierarchies even within universities—spaces meant to uphold constitutional values.

Violation of Fundamental Rights

DASAM stated that the incident violates several fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, including:

• Article 14 – Equality before law
• Article 15 – Prohibition of discrimination
• Article 17 – Abolition of untouchability
• Article 19(1)(g) – Right to practice any profession with dignity
• Article 21 – Right to life, privacy, and personal liberty

The organisation also cited breaches of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, which mandate safe and dignified working environments.

Key Demands from DASAM

DASAM outlined a comprehensive set of immediate and structural demands, including:

• Court-monitored independent investigation into the MDU incident
• Criminal prosecution of all accused officials
• Full protection and continued employment for the affected women
• Psychological counselling and compensation for trauma and distress
• Establishment of a fully functional Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at MDU with representation from Dalit women workers and independent experts
• Implementation of dignified menstrual leave policies across Haryana’s public institutions
• Regularisation of sanitation workers with fair wages, health benefits, and social security

The group also called for statewide audits of working conditions, gender and caste sensitisation programmes for staff and whistleblower protection mechanisms to ensure accountability.

“Justice Must Be Structural”

Concluding its statement, DASAM emphasised that justice in this case “must go beyond individual punishment.” “The women of MDU have shown extraordinary courage in asserting their rights and humanity,” the statement said. “It is now the moral and constitutional duty of the State, judiciary, and society to ensure that their suffering leads to transformative change, not token reform.”

The organisation reiterated that the right to equality and dignity is non-negotiable and that defending it “is a collective responsibility.”

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With inputs from DASAM and allied networks

Contact:

Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM)
PH: 84910 52270 | 70657 21374