THANE, July 11 -- A day after public outrage over alleged forced menstrual checks on students in a Shahapur school in Thane district, three more arrests were made on Thursday, taking the total number of arrests to five. The accused include the school principal and attendant who conducted the checks. The school, a private, English-medium, co-ed institution, also remained shut on Thursday. Parents, furious at the incident, where schoolgirls were asked to strip, to check whether they were menstruating after bloodstains were found in the school toilet, pointed to recurring water shortages in the washrooms, which had compromised sanitary practices. They said that on Tuesday too, when the incident took place, there was no water in the toilet. A tanker was arranged on Wednesday, after parents stormed the principal's office and demanded immediate action for an act that amounts to an alleged violation of child rights. The Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson, Rupali Chakankar, visited the school on Thursday. She said that the school had failed to establish mandatory committees, including the Internal Complaints Committee and Sakhi Savitri Committee, according to the guidelines of the state education department. "The principal should have focused on educating the girls about menstrual hygiene; she should not have humiliated them. This act is condemnable," Chakankar said, adding that she had recommended that the school's registration be cancelled. The menstrual checks conducted on the students have left many feeling traumatised. Some have told their parents that they fear returning to school and facing their peers, particularly male classmates. Sneha Kismatrao, a parent whose son studies in the school joined the protesting parents. "The principal is rude and arrogant, and despite repeated complaints to the trustees, her tenure was extended after retirement. There are four trustees, but they are rarely seen in the school. When we contacted one of them during the protest, they said they don't take calls before noon and would speak to the principal first. Their inaction has contributed to this situation." The mother of one of the girls said, "She was menstruating and was taken aside by the staff, who questioned her about stains on the toilet wall. At the time, there was no water in the washroom, which could have caused the stains. She couldn't explain the stains but was still blamed." Another parent pointed out that the school authorities didn't seem to care about basic hygiene as there was frequently no water in the toilets. "They called for a tanker only when we pointed out on Wednesday that the toilets had run dry." Meanwhile, an officer with the Shahapur police station said that five arrests have been made and the accused have been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. They have been remanded to police custody until July 15....