Ragging in Indian Institutions

Freshers shun men's hostels to escape ragging

2009-11-10T19:03:00.001+05:30

1 November 2003:NEW DELHI:

HYDERABAD: Attempts by authorities to clamp down on ragging in the two premier medical colleges of the city — Osmania Medical College (OMC) and

Gandhi Medical College (GMC) — appears to have had little impact on freshers. They still keep away from the men's hostels fearing ragging.

It's been a month since classes started for first years, but the wing of the men's hostels meant for them is virtually empty.

College authorities dismissed this saying final year students have not yet vacated their rooms and that there is no space for juniors. But students have a different view.

"Freshers do not live in the hostel for fear of getting ragged," said Srinivasa Raju, a final year student of OMC. B Ramesh, a first year student in GMC said, "Only 12 of us live in hostel as the others are afraid."

The hostels, which are on the college campuses, do not have any special security system in place to prevent ragging. There's just a warden and his staff comprising sweepers, a water boy and an electrician. "They are powerless in front of the students," said a final year student of OMC.

However, both the students and the college administration of the OMC maintain that ragging is non-existent. "Students are afraid because the reputation of medical colleges is very poor in this regard," Raju said.

"The maximum we do is ask the fresher his bio-data or make him sing and dance. Nothing beyond that," said G Shankar Naidu, a second year student of OMC. Similar are the accounts of the administration and senior students at the GMC, According to vice-principal Pradeep Deshpande, two committees have been formed to clamp down on ragging — a core committee comprising administration and faculty and an anti-ragging committee comprising senior students, supervised by a faculty member.

"I do not mind banning ragging, but the situation is such that not even pleasantries are exchanged between seniors and juniors for the fear of being caught by the anti-ragging squad," Raj Kumar, a second year student of GMC said.

In both colleges, members of the faculty take turns staying at the hostel every night to prevent ragging. OMC formed a 10-member anti-ragging committee made up of faculty members. Source

ragging in Coimbatore Medical College - Four students held

2009-10-27T17:40:00.001+05:30

25 October 2009:COIMBATORE: Despite SC bans and pleas, ragging refuses to die out.

In the latest horror, four students of the government-run Coimbatore Medical College Hospital were arrested and suspended from the college for allegedly assaulting juniors. According to police, the four seniors allegedly took 11 second-year students to the terrace of the hostel and asked them to 'swim' on the floor on the night of October 21.

When they hesitated and resisted, they were assaulted, the police said. Two days earlier, three other boys were also allegedly ragged and beaten up by the same group.

''As ragging of freshers would have come to our notice immediately, these seniors appear to have targeted second-year students,'' medical college dean Dr V Kumaran said. Source

Ragging in Haldia, West Bengal - three suspended

2009-10-21T12:22:00.001+05:30

10 October 2009:

Squad set up to check ragging at RIMS

2009-10-21T12:13:00.001+05:30

Ranchi, Oct. 20: An anti-ragging squad has been constituted at the premier Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to curb incidents of ragging amid unconfirmed reports of mental and physical torture.

RIMS acting director A.K. Mahto said that the squad comprised three teachers each of clinical and non-clinical departments, besides representatives of the Junior Doctors' Association.

"Though we have not received any complaint of ragging, we have set up an anti-ragging squad. Its members will sit together on October 29 to chalk out a strategy to put a complete halt on ragging, if any, on the campus," Mahto said.

Vijay Pratap Singh Tomar, the association's secretary and also a member of the squad, supported Mahto, saying there was no question of ragging as students were aware of its consequences. "Everyone knows that s/he will have to lose at least one semester if found ragging a fresher. No one enjoys harassing juniors at the cost of his or her career," he said.

Tomar, however, did not deny the practise of freshers introducing themselves on the campus.

"Sometimes, freshers are asked to introduce themselves to seniors. This practice is sometime seen as ragging and spoken about in an exaggerated way outside the campus by some freshers," he said.

Sources, however, said the squad was constituted after cases of harassment of newcomers were reported from the campus.

"It was reported that new girls were being asked by seniors to wash their dirty laundry at odd hours while boys were being asked to impersonate birds. Apart from this, some seniors asked freshers to bend at 90 degrees when in front of them," a RIMS employee alleged on condition of anonymity.

No fresher was available for comment as the Puja vacations are on. But sources close to them supported the claims of the RIMS employee.

"There is an old tradition of ragging on the campus. It is difficult to find out about every case as freshers prefer to remain tight-lipped as they fear trouble in the hostel otherwise. Only extreme cases of ragging come out or only those students open their mouths whose parents are influential," said a friend of a fresher.Source

Comments By Ragging India;

It is a good step but the management should know that No complain does not meen that ragging is not taking place. Very serious ragging takes place in RIMS. SC/ST students freshers is brutely ragged by their SC/ST seniors continuously for three to four months. General and OBC category students are being ragged by their counterparts similarly for three to four months.

In this country we just make a commitee and sleep. Neither the committe do anything neither the Management/Government. Committee is made just to hide the truth and for not taking any action.

Tough ragging guidelines submitted to Polish

2009-10-19T15:36:00.001+05:30

JAIPUR: In a bid to clear confusion between ragging and acts of indiscipline, the anti-ragging committee has handed over a copy of UGC guidelines

describing the acts comes under ragging' to the police department recently. It is often seen that in cases of violence between two student groups, the college administration denies ragging instead divert the police attention on considering a case under normal indiscipline.

"I have submitted a copy to the ASP, OP Sharma, on Wednesday. This copy will help the police department to differentiate the cases of ragging and acts of indiscipline in the college," said B M Sharma, member of anti-ragging committee, Rajasthan University.

The guideline clearly says that any conduct by a student or students even by words that has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness should be considered a ragging. Even the guidelines say act that caused shame or embarrassment or affects the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other student should be considered under the purview of ragging.

Police officials said that earlier it was a very cumbersome task to identify a ragging case. "Now it will help us in initiating the action against according to the merits of the case," said a police officer. Notably, under the law the conviction in a ragging harsh then a simple conviction in a simple clash between two students groups. The committee has also held a meeting with the police to seek their appropriate support on the issue.

Despite strict guidelines of the supreme court and UGC the ragging cases have been surfacing frequently causing law and order problems. The committee is hoping that such initiative would help in putting a check on the incidents of ragging in the institutes. Source

Ragged Howrah, West Bengal fresher kills self

2009-10-19T15:32:00.001+05:30

HOWRAH: Traumatized and shamed by barbaric torture at the hands of seniors, a first-year student of a Howrah institute committed suicide on Friday rather than face his tormentors who are still roaming free.

Exactly a month ago, 19-year-old Nayan Adak had taken poison to kill himself after the brutal ragging and was due to rejoin the institute on Friday after a long and difficult recovery. Nayan, a B Pharma fresher at Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology & Allied Health Sciences in Uluberia, was beaten up, forced to take drugs, singed with cigarettes and injected with air during a 90-minute ordeal on September 4.

Finally, his wrists were slashed and he was dumped — battered, delirious and bloodied — at Uluberia railway station. Five days later, when the campus reopened after holidays, Nayan gulped pesticide rather than return to college.

Though it's been a month since the ragging came to light, neither the college authorities nor police have taken any action against the culprits. While college officials accuse police of dragging their feet on the family's FIR, police allege that the college is trying to suppress the incident. Ironically, the local inspector-in-charge, Abdul Rezzak, is on the institute's anti-ragging committee. Uluberia SDPO Mrinal Majumdar said they were waiting for Nayan to identify the accused.

The college, affiliated to the West Bengal University of Technology, had been directed by acting vice-chancellor Sabyasachi Sengupta to file an FIR but did not do so. College principal R Debnath simply admitted to "minor incidents of ragging" on campus.

Nayan, the only son of a farmer in East Midnapore's Arinan village, was a bright student. He joined the institute with high hopes but was targeted by a bunch of seniors from the first day for his background and "rustic ways". Source

Ragging in BGSU, J&K - 9 students suspends

2009-10-19T15:29:00.001+05:30

Rajouri Oct 07 (NAK) Probably first time in the history of educational institution management of Jammu and Kashmir, 9 students were today suspended by the Ghulam Shah Badshah University on the charges of ragging their juniors.

Taking lead in implementing anti ragging UGC's strictures, Ghulam Shah Badshah University authority's suspended 9 students after two groups of Freshers filed separate complaint that they were subjected to ragging by their seniors.

Reliable sources told News Agency of Kashmir that first student of B-tech first year held a demonstration in the campus premises to protest against ragging at the hands of their seniors.

The protesting students named 9 students who grilled some of them and forced them to strip off their clothes, they complained. The victims alleged that the seniors thrashed those who refused to obey their orders.

The University authorities took the cognizance of the incident and directed the anti ragging Squad to inquire into the matter.

After inquiring the matter, the anti-ragging squad found the named students guilty and recommended their action against them.

Endorsing the recommendations, the university authorities immediately rusticated all the nine students. Source

Schools not immune to anti ragging checks

2009-10-14T10:58:00.001+05:30

educationmaster.org: WEDNESDAY, 14 OCTOBER 09

While detailing the steps his ministry has taken to check the recurrence of the incidence of ragging in higher educational institutions, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal reiterated government's firm commitment to "zero tolerance" to the scourge.

In response to a discussion on the measures to be taken to curb the menace, Mr. Sibal informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the government has placed the institutions under the University Grants Commission (UGC) under legal scanner.

Central regulatory agencies, the All India Council for Technical Education, Medical Council of India, Indian Nursing Council and Dental Council of India, were told to strictly adhere to the UGC norms to monitor the institutes under their jurisdiction.

The minister said the government would also monitor schools to ascertain that no incident of ragging takes in any of the educational institution, big or small.

As against previously held notion that ragging within college or university does not come under the act of crime now all the places come under the ambit of the regulation.
"The government is committed to deal with this menace to ensure lives of young is not affected by this scourge." Sibal asserted. A helpline for students to complain about ragging has become operational. Such complaints will be attended promptly and acted upon in just 15 minutes of receiving them.

Anti-ragging squads were also constituted under principals.

Among the stringent action against the students found guilty of indulging in ragging would be suspension from the class, debarring from admission and examinations, rustication, withholding scholarships and results, etc.

The institutes failing to implement these regulations may face punitive action. Their recognition and grants can be withheld by the UGC.

UP Govt brings ordinance to ban ragging

2009-10-14T10:56:00.001+05:30

14 October 2009:timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

LUCKNOW: UP government on Tuesday promulgated an ordinance prohibiting ragging in all educational institutions and making it a penal offence.

A decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet at its meeting presided over by chief minister Mayawati here on Tuesday.

The ordinance, according to an official press release, has been promulgated under the direction of the Supreme Court with an express purpose to curb the ragging effectively in the educational institutions. The ordinance will be ratified and made a legislation once the Vidhan Sabha meets.

Lucknow, Oct 13 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday decided to make ragging a cognizable offence, an official spokesman said.

The new law would be named 'Ragging in Educational Institutions Ordinance, 2009′. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government had initiated the move shortly after it assumed office in May 2007. There was, however, no progress so far.

"The state government also took note of the Supreme Court's oft-repeated stress on the need for putting an end to ragging in educational institutions," said the spokesman.

What prompted Chief Minister Mayawati to call for a strong law were a spate of suicides and deaths after ragging in a couple of private engineering colleges around this state capital in the recent past.

The new law would be applicable to all higher education institutes, including medical and engineering colleges across the state.

Ragging in Nagpur - Four students booked for abduction

2009-10-07T16:39:00.000+05:30

1 October 2009:NAGPUR: The spurt in violence at college campuses is causing concern among security agencies in the city. Soon after the arrest of five engineering students of a reputed college for ragging and assault, four students landed in police custody on Tuesday night on charges of kidnapping and extortion. Police said that the incident happened due to fight between some students recently.

Police said that the accused Ramkumar Gehlot, Shrikant Gedam, Mayur Chauhan and Gunjan Jambhulkar, all students of different institutions, allegedly took two of their friends forcibly with them to MIDC, where they were confined to a hostel room. The four culprits had also allegedly demanded Rs 15,000 for the release of their victims.

The cops intervened and rescued the two kidnapped students, Pritam Kumar Singh and his cousin Pramod Kumar Gupta, both of whom are from Bihar but are currently studying in city-based institutions. The complainant, Sunny Kumar Choudhary is also a resident of Bihar and completing his engineering degree here. He had rushed to Nandanvan police station to seek help after his friends were taken away on motor bikes against their wishes.

Police said that the incident was a fallout of a past clash between the students. Jambhulkar, who was a tenant at his co-accused Gehlot's place at New Nandanvan Colony, is learnt to have returned home in an inebriated condition around a fortnight ago. Police sources said that Jambhulkar had been partying with Roshan, Gupta and his cousin Singh.

Gupta and Roshan were with Jambhulkar when he was returning to Gehlot's place. There was dispute between the Gehlots and Jambhulkar's friends over disturbing the family late in the night. Both Gehlot and his father Natthusingh were hurt in the scuffle that ensued following the argument. They were keen to report the matter to the police but a settlement was reached in the form of a compensation payment of Rs 1,000. Gupta and Roshan are learnt to have coughed up that amount.

Police said that even though the amount was paid the aggrieved party was not satisfied and they demanded more money. Gehlot and others then came to the place where the cousins stay. They were reportedly looking for Roshan, but he was not present at home. The accused then decided to take Gupta away with them instead, but his cousin Singh also insisted on coming along.

Police said that the duo were taken away towards Bhandewadi plot and then to an undisclosed location at MIDC. The Nandanvan police later laid a trap near Bhandewadi plot to nab the culprits. Jambhulkar, who is from Wardha, was arrested later. After producing them before the court, the police have procured custody till October 2. Source:The Times of India

20 students suspended for ragging

2009-10-07T16:38:00.001+05:30

5 September 2009:DURGAPUR: NIT-Durgapur has suspended 20 students for two months for allegedly ragging five youths studying in the first year.

The victims lodged a complaint on the anti-ragging website of the HRD ministry, saying they had been ragged in August. The Centre then directed the NIT authorities to investigate the matter.

The NIT management called the 20 students on Thursday. Of them, 18 are second-year students while two are in the third year. They are from mechanical civil, computer and electrical engineering departments.

The authorities handed over suspension letters to the 20 students and directed them to vacate the hostel within 24 hours. The students have been suspended till October 31.

A K Mitra, (dean, administration) confirmed that the 20 students had been suspended. He said the varsity would take strong action against the students as per central government's anti-ragging directives. Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Cooch Behar polytechnic West Bengal - Two students arrested

2009-09-28T15:38:00.001+05:30

19 September 2006:COOCH BEHAR (WB): Two students of Cooch Behar polytechnic here were arrested for allegedly ragging a first year student of the institute, police

sources said on Tuesday.

Muresul Islam Gaye, a first year student of Civil Engineering of the institute lodged an FIR with the Kowari police station on September 15 against two senior students for allegedly ragging him.

Gaye claimed in the FIR that on the night of September 13 he was subjected to severe ragging by the seniors in the hostel. He alleged that the seniors had compelled him to write a suicide note and even asked him to drink acid.

He then contacted his family in West Midnapore district. His family members came the next day and took him to MJN Hospital for treatment. An FIR was also lodged against the seniors.

The two senior students Sumitra Safdar and Joyce Bhattacharjee were arrested on Monday after the FIR was lodged by Gaye, police sources said.

Meanwhile, the Polytechnic has constituted a six-member committee to probe Gaye's allegations of ragging.

Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Jadavpur University (JU) , Kolkata - Penalty for 5

2009-09-28T15:36:00.001+05:30

23 September 2009:KOLKATA: Jadavpur University (JU) will expel four students for ragging freshers at the JU Main Hostel on September 4.

Of them, three have been expelled for life and cannot take admission in any other college and university for the next one year. One, who was accused of having complicity in the crime, was expelled for four semesters from the university and rusticated from the hostel. Another accused of the same has only been expelled from the hostel.

The penalties proposed by the anti-ragging committee got the seal of the executive council (EC) the highest decision making body of the university on Tuesday.

"The committee had left it to the EC to decide the period for which the prime accused would be debarred from taking admission to other universities. We decided that it should be one year. This apart, we have accepted all the recommendations of the anti-ragging committee," said pro-vice chancellor of JU, Siddhartha Dutta. The university is in no mood to listen to the students' prayers.

This is the first occasion when a state university has taken the ultimate step to stop ragging on the campus after the UGC and Supreme Court issued orders against the menace. The three-member probe panel, set up by the vice-chancellor, had found that seniors had tortured seven freshers "physically, mentally and even sexually, from 11 pm (on September 4) till 3 am".

The inquiry committee submitted its report to acting vice-chancellor Siddhartha Dutta. The committee did not find any substance in the charges levelled against the dean of students, saying that the dean forcibly gathered complaints from the victims. "The punishment has been recommended keeping in view the Supreme Court order and the UGC circular," said Dutta.

The university has taken a tough stance against ragging. On January 14, it suspended three students for three semesters and fined five former students Rs 20,000 each, and on March 9, it suspended a third-year mechanical engineering student for six months for ragging a first-year international relations student. Source:The Times of India

Senior students attacked hostel, assaulted 35 freshers

2009-09-28T15:34:00.001+05:30

17 September 2009:VARANASI: The menace of ragging took an ugly turn here on Wednesday when a rampaging mob of senior UP Autonomous College students attacked the

hostel housing freshers, ransacked the building and brutally beat up over 35 BSc students whose appeal for mercy fell on deaf ears.

The attack was so ferocious that the entire hostel staff, including the warden, had to take shelter in nearby buildings even as the mob fought pitched battle with a heavy posse of police on the campus.

The attack came apparently to teach juniors a lesson for lodging complaint against two seniors for ragging. While two students were arrested till late evening, search was on to nab others.

The juniors alleged that harassment by seniors had been going on for the past few days. They had even approached the college authorities and lodged a complaint which irked the final year BSc students.

On Wednesday, a mob of senior students arrived at the Third Hostel housing first year students and in a pre-planned move, ransacked the furniture, doors, books and threw food of the inmates. After this, they turned their ire towards the juniors and beat them up with sticks and broken furniture.

When the vandalism subsided, over 35 first-year students including Abhishek, Gaurav, Vivek Singh, Rupesh, Sarvesh, Shiv Prakash, Shrikant, Shrawan Shukla, Narain Pandey, Ajit and Suryakant, were left tending to serious injuries on face and head.

While the seniors held the entire hostel to ransom, wardens remained a mute spectator. The students relented only when principal Sabha Shankar Tiwari arrived on the scene along with a heavy police force. However, the mob retreated only to return back and attack the juniors once again, forcing the police to use force.

The injured were immediately rushed to Deen Dayal Hospital for treatment and a heavy police force was deployed on the campus to prevent any further untoward incident.

Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Jadavpur University - Three students face expulsion

2009-09-28T15:24:00.001+05:30

17 September 2009:KOLKATA: In an unprecedented move, Jadavpur University's anti-ragging council has recommended the expulsion of three students for ragging a group of

freshers on September 4. Their fate will be decided at JU's executive council meeting on September 22.

If the EC ratifies the expulsion order, the students, as per a recent Supreme Court directive, cannot take admission elsewhere for a period specified by the university.

Two other students, accused of complicity in the crime, may get lighter sentences. The anti-ragging panel has recommended rustication for four semesters for one and expulsion from the hostel for the other. The five accused are students of mechanical, civil, production engineering and physics departments.

The alleged incident happened in the JU Main Hostel on September 4 night. The three-member probe panel, set up by the vice-chancellor, found that the seniors tortured seven freshers "physically, mentally and even sexually, for over four hours, till 3 am".

The inquiry committee submitted its report to acting V-C Siddhartha Dutta on Wed-nesday. The report formed the basis for the anti-ragging committee's recommendations for punishment. The committee also termed as baseless the charges levelled by some students that dean of students Rajat Roy forcibly gathered complaints from freshers. "The punishment has been recommended keeping in view the Supreme Court order and the UGC circular," said Dutta.

The university has taken a tough stance against ragging. On January 14, it suspended three students for three semesters and fined five former students Rs 20,000 each, and on March 9, it suspended a third-year mechanical engineering student for six months for ragging a first-year international relations student. Source:The Times of India

City boy ragged in Jamnagar college

2009-09-22T12:23:00.001+05:30

21 September 2009:AHMEDABAD: Ragging of a city boy along with three of his classmates at a Jamnagar college has sparked off a controversy even as the state government

plans to take strict action against the guilty.

Four students of the MP Shah Medical College in Jamnagar were subjected to mental and physical harassment for more than three months by their seniors, a complaint filed by one of the victims, who hails from Ahmedabad, says.

The ragging, said sources, took place in the PG medical (orthopedic) department of the college. The matter came to light when one of the four victims fled the college and came back home in Ahmedabad. Both the accused and the victim are from Ahmedabad, said sources.

The victim's parents then took up the matter with the college authorities and filed a complaint with the dean of the college. Principal secretary of health Ravi Saxena said, "Four students were subjected to ragging. One of them has filed a complaint and the anti-ragging committee of the college will meet soon. Strict action will be initiated against the guilty. Such instances will not be tolerated."

Vice-chancellor of Saurashtra University Kamlesh Joshipura said, "A ragging complaint has been received and we will send a team to inquire into it. We are also trying to contact the three other victims who have shifted to a medical college in Rajkot."

In June, the four students got admission in Jamnagar medical college. The four were targeted by a hostile group of students of second year PG who subjected them to severe beating and humiliation.

Three of the students got admission in a medical college at Rajkot and shifted out. However, the fourth student, who belongs to Ahmedabad, continued to be subjected to abuse. "They would snatch his money, lock him into a bathroom and beat him up. His bike would also often be snatched," said sources in the state education department.Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Azad Institute of Engineering and Technology,LUCKNOW - Murder case against manager and senior students

2009-09-22T12:21:00.001+05:30

18 September 2009:LUCKNOW: A murder case against the manager and some senior students of Azad Institute of Engineering and Technology was finally lodged on Thursday

here in Sarojiningar police station after Dharam Raj, father of the 20-year-old engineering student, Poonam Mishra, in his written complaint alleged that the manager and senior students killed her.

A complaint with regards to this was given to the police on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday, there were reports that Poonam died after she jumped off the third floor of her college building here. It was suspected that ragging was the reason behind the girl jumping from the building.

Some of the other students of the college also had confirmed on Tuesday that ragging was going on in the college. The college director, Ahmad Hussain, however, said that the girl took the extreme step as she was under depression. He said that Poonam was a Hindi-medium student and was week in English as a result she was unable to cope with the course as the medium of instruction in the college is English.

The college administration, however, was still not able to explain why would a girl, who had joined the college a week before her death, would commit suicide just because she was weak in English.

Poonam was staying in room number 107 of the Azad Girls Hostel along with two other girls. Talking to TOI, Poonam's father, Dharamraj confirmed, "On our application a murder case has been lodged."

Meanwhile, the college administration has also constructed a committee to give its report on the Tuesday's incident but the report would be delayed according to the director as the college would remain closed from Thursday for the next few days.

Circle officer (CO), Sarojininagar, Subhash Atri said, "We have started the investigation but in my talk with about 50 students, ragging in the college has not been reported. Source:The Times of India

Ragging in MP Shah Medical College , JAMNAGAR

2009-09-22T12:18:00.001+05:30

19 September 2009:JAMNAGAR: A postgraduate student of MP Shah Medical College has complained to the college authorities that he was ragged brutally.

According to the authorities, who refused to disclose the victim's name, the student, with his parents, approached them and complained against a group of senior students who subjected him to inhuman ragging.

The victim enrolled in the college in 2003. His ordeal began when, after MBBS, he got admission in the postgraduate course. He claimed he was regularly thrashed by his tormentors. They used to wake him up by kicking him in his groin and did not let him sleep. When he tried to protest, they threatened to kill him.

Unable to bear the torture, he quit studies and returned to Ahmedabad, his parents said. "The amount of torture my son has gone through can be gauged from the fact that he wakes up suddenly in the night and starts screaming," said the victim's father.

"The allegation of ragging is serious, and considering the Supreme Court's verdict, we've taken serious note of the incident and formed a committee to investigate the matter," said a college official. Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Technology, Uluberia - accused face the heat

2009-09-16T17:12:00.001+05:30

16 September 2009:KOLKATA: Nayan Adak, the first-year BPharma student at Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Technology, Uluberia, who was allegedly

ragged and tortured severely by his seniors, will be taken to his college to identify his tormentors.

On Monday, Nayan was discharged from Greenview Nursing Home in Alampur, Howrah. While his father and uncle were taking him back home, police officers called him back and took him to Uluberia police station for further investigation.

"I was taken to Uluberia railway station, where I pointed out the exact location of the incident. Police noted that it was between railway tracks 5 and 6 where I was intercepted by a senior. We had both walked towards Nimdighi along the railway tracks. On Monday, I had shown police a deserted area near the railway lines where the ragging took place," said Adak.

Nayan was then shifted to the bungalow of Howrah Superintendent of Police Hari K Kusumakar. There, he was interrogated by the SP himself for more than an hour. However, since the college was closed on Monday, police could not take Adak to identify his seniors. Police have reportedly identified the three students who had reportedly tortured Nayan. However, they have to be identified by Nayan himself before being arrested. The Uluberia SDPO has asked Nayan's father to bring him to the college for identifying the students over the next couple of days.

The complaint with Uluberia police station was lodged by Nayan's cousin and elder brother on September 10. Since then, police had constantly interrogated some of his batchmates and seniors. Around 56 second-year
students of the college were identified and asked specific questions. A few among them had given inconsistent replies, said sources.

Panel nails 5 JU students

KOLKATA: Two students have been indicted by the three-member inquiry committee, which was set up in Jadavpur University (JU) to probe the alleged ragging of seven first-year engineering and science students in the main hostel late on September 4.

The committee has also named three other students for their complicity in the offence.

The committee will submit its report to acting vice-chancellor Siddhartha Dutta on Wednesday; he will then place it before the anti-ragging committee for its views. The report, along with recommendations from the anti-ragging panel, will be placed before the executive council the highest executive body of the university for punitive action.

The committee reportedly has ample evidence to prove that the accused abused the freshers verbally, forced them to perform sexual acts and made them run errands. The accused are from four departments mechanical, civil, production and physics.

"There is sufficient evidence, which confirms mental, physical and even sexual torture on the first-year students that continued for four hours, from 11 pm to 3 am. Witness to the ragging corroborated this," the report states.

The three-member probe committee included Pinaki Bhattacharya, a representative of the students, and two professors of JU.

Aware of the consequences, the seniors allegedly forced the victims to give it in writing to the vice-chancellor that dean of students Rajat Roy, who went to the main hostel after the incident, forcibly made them sign the complaints. Some of the accused tried to give a political twist to the entire incident saying the CPM-dominated university was trying to frame them as they did not belong to the party's student wing, SFI.

Fellow students, who sympathized with the accused, even lodged an FIR against the authorities on September 7 saying the university was forcibly detaining the alleged victims on the campus even though they were willing to return to the main hostel.

"Initially, the victims confirmed the ragging when I went to meet them. But they backed out in front of the media under pressure from their seniors in hostel. However, it is learnt that they have come out with facts," the dean of students said.

"I am yet to receive the report. However, if the accusations are proved, then punishment will be meted out as and when suggested by the anti-ragging committee and the EC," Dutta said. source:The Times of India

Ragging in BHU - Four students booked

2009-09-16T17:09:00.001+05:30

15 September 2009:VARANASI: Four engineering students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) here have been booked for allegedly ragging a first year student outside

the varsity campus, police said on Tuesday.

The four students -- two of B Tech third year and surprisingly two in the first year -- allegedly assaulted the fresher Monday and forced him to dance like a male stripper outside the university campus in this city, about 250 km from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

The four students have been booked under the anti-ragging act and sent out of the university hostel. This is the third incident of ragging on the BHU campus in less than two months.

"The students on Monday evening forced a fresher to act like a male stripper outside the varsity campus. We today (Tuesday) morning booked them under the anti-ragging act and brought them to police station to enquire further into the matter," superintendent of police (Varanasi) Vijay Bhushan said.

BHU's chief proctor HCS Rathore told reporters that the four students would have their hostel facilities withdrawn. "A decision in this regard has been taken at a meeting chaired by the vice-chancellor DP Singh," he said. Source:The Times of India

Ragging in LUCKNOW - Engg student jumps to her death

2009-09-16T17:07:00.001+05:30

16 September 2009:LUCKNOW: A first year engineering student, identified as Poonam Mishra, committed suicide by jumping off the third floor of her college building in

the city on Tuesday. Although ragging was apprehended as the reason for the girl's extreme step, college administration and the police said the girl was under depression.

The incident was reported from Bijnore area under Sarojininagar police circle. Identified as Poonam Mishra of Muftiganj in Jaunpur district, the girl was a student of Azad Institute of Engineering and Technology. Poonamstayed in room number 107 of Azad Girls Hostel along with two other girls.

The incident took place around 12.30 pm after her last class. Said college director Mohammed Hussain: "She along with her other friends came out of the classroom and then told them that she had left her bag inside and would get it back. As others waited for her, she jumped off the building.'' Students and teachers immediately rushed her to FI Hospital in Kaiserbagh, where she died.

A first year student of the college, who was present at FI Hospital, told TOI that ragging could possibly be the reason for her mental state. "Ragging is going on in our college. I myself have been a victim of it. Probably, she also faced such a situation,'' he said.

Talking to TOI, however, the college administration denied that ragging was going on in their college. Director Ahmad Hussain said: "There is no ragging going on here. What Poonam's roommates have told me and the police is that she was finding it difficult to cope with teaching in English. As she was weak in the subject, she had been under depression for some days.''

The director, however, could not explain how a student, who had just been in the college for a week, could take such a step. When asked whether the college was contemplating any inquiry, Ahmad said: "Till now, no inquiry has been conducted by us.''

Circle Officer (CO), Sarojiningar, Subhash Atri, too said Poonam had problems with English. "She didn't die because of ragging and no suicide note has been recovered from her hostel room or her bag.''

When TOI contacted Poonam's father Dharam Raj, who works in Azamgarh district administration, he said: "I don't know why she took this step. She did tell me two days ago that she was facing problems in coping with the English language. However, at that moment, I did not know it was so serious.'' Source: The Times of India

Parents worried:

LUCKNOW: After a 20-year-old engineering student, Poonam Mishra, committed suicide by jumping from her college building and the reason for this was

suspected to be ragging, parents of those students who are studying in the institutes of the city were left worrying over whether their children were being ragged and are the colleges taking adequate measures to prevent the same.

Many parents, on request of anonymity, said that ragging was rampant in many colleges in the city and the college administrations had failed to check the practice against which even the supreme court has given clear instructions.

A group of parents even approached the media and the police to ensure that measures are taken for the security of their children.

Parents said that there are no checks on the senior students to prevent them from ragging the juniors. The problem increases with the teachers remaining absent from the class. They claimed that the ragging continues outside the college premises as well with their wards being ragged in college buses.

The parents said that they can't complain about it openly to the college administration as those ragging their children can take extreme steps against them and even the college authorities prefer to ignore the case as it earns a bad name for their college.

The parents feel that it is because of the suffocating environment and humiliation suffered by the freshers that they take extreme steps like committing suicide. Source: The Times of India

Police start probe into Uluberia college ragging

2009-09-14T17:54:00.001+05:30

ULUBERIA: Uluberia police on Friday initiated an inquiry into the ragging complaint by a student at Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology

& Allied Health Sciences. Nayan Adak had attempted suicide on Wednesday after some of his seniors allegedly beat him up, tortured him and forced him to take drugs.

The inspector-in-charge (IC) of Uluberia police station, Abdul Rezzak, discussed the case with the college authorities at a closed-door meeting during the day. Adak was hospitalised after he gulped in poison at his home in Tamluk's Arinan village, unable to take the humiliation.

Rezzak convened the emergency meeting in his capacity as a member of the institution's anti-ragging committee. He later questioned some students of the college.

Later, Uluberia SDPO Mrinal Mazumdar went to meet Nayan at a nursing home. The boy narrated his ordeal to the officer. He told the SDPO that he could identify the seniors who tortured him although he does not know their names.

The SDPO has asked the college authorities to submit a detailed report and specify whether any instance of ragging had been reported in the technology college earlier.

College principal R Debnath admitted to the media on Friday that minor incidents of ragging had indeed occurred, and that these had been brought to his notice. Accordingly, an anti-ragging committee was formed in 2004.

Police are planning to question first-year students of the college. A list of suspected seniors will be prepared after talking to these juniors.

Cops have located the place near Uluberia police station which could have been the spot of ragging. Some senior students of the college stay there.

Debnath said Adak had attended classes for only 20 days since taking admission and had requested the authorities to see if they could transfer him to a college near his home. It was, however, not possible to do so. "I wonder if he wanted to leave the college out of fear of ragging," Debnath said.

"I have asked the acting vice-chancellor to direct the college to lodge an FIR. The accused must be put behind bars if the incident has really occurred," said Sabyasachi Sengupta, vice-chancellor of West Bengal University of Technology, to which the college is affiliated. Source:The Times of India

student attempts suicide after ragging

2009-09-12T13:53:00.001+05:30

11 September 2009:KOLKATA: A first-year student of a private technology institute in Howrah tried to commit suicide on Wednesday after he was beaten, tortured and

forced to do drugs by his seniors. During the 90-minute ordeal, Nayan Adak's wrists were slashed with razors and he was injected with air.

Unable to take the humiliation or face his tormentors in college, 19-year-old Nayan gulped poison in his home in Tamluk's Arinan village. The only son of a farmer and a star-mark student, Nayan is now hovering between life and death. The boy's uncle, Subal Chandra Adak, has lodged an FIR with Uluberia police.

The Howrah incident comes just days after a ragging complaint rocked Jadavpur University. Nayan had joined Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology & Allied Health Sciences in Uluberia in August for a B Pharm course. Seniors started picking on him from the first day and the ragging continued relentlessly for one and a half months, says his family.

On Friday, Nayan was waiting at Uluberia station to catch a train home when four seniors grabbed him and took him to a house in the locality, says his uncle. Once inside, the door was barred and the torture began. Nayan was beaten and forced to smoke a cigarette. Then an unknown drug was forced down his throat. When he lay delirious, his wrists were slashed with a razor. Then, one of the seniors asked another to fetch an empty syringe, the FIR says. As Nayan desperately struggled, he was held down and air injected into his left hand.

Battered and dazed, Nayan was dragged back to the station, warned against saying anything, and dumped.
At home, he kept the wounds hidden at first, saying he had tripped while playing. The next three days were holidays, but all the while Nayan was unusually quiet, says his family. "We now realise he was tormented from within," his uncle said.

On Tuesday morning, after his father left for the fields, Nayan tried to commit suicide by drinking poison. His groans alerted his family members. Gasping for breath, he asked his family for forgiveness and narrated the ordeal, thinking it was the last time he would be seeing them.

Nayan was rushed to Tamluk district hospital and referred to SSKM in Kolkata. On his way to the city, his condition worsened and he had to be admitted to a nursing home at Alampur, Howrah. "He is in severe trauma and his left hand is peculiarly swollen," said Buddhadeb Das, superintendent of the nursing home.

Samir Kumar Samanta, a member of the college's anti-ragging committee, said they were inquiring into the case. Head of the department Manas Chakraborty has assured strict action against the guilty. Howrah SP Hari Kishore Kusumakar said police were waiting for Nayan to recover to take his statement. Source:The Times of India

Ragging in Assam - Seven students suspended

2009-09-12T13:50:00.001+05:30

9 September 2009:GUWAHATI: Seven students from colleges in Assam's Dibrugarh town have been suspended on charges of ragging and assaulting teachers, officials said

Wednesday.

The action has been taken against four postgraduate students of Dibrugarh University and three undergraduate students from the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh.

The four students from Dibrugarh University were suspended for two semesters for allegedly assaulting some junior boarders of the hostel.

"The action was taken based on a complaint by some junior boarders that they were physically and mentally tortured by seniors at their hostel. A five-member committee formed to inquire into the incident found them guilty," Dibrugarh University Registrar Pradip Kumar Bhuyan said.

The Assam Medical College late Tuesday expelled three of its undergraduate students from the hostel for allegedly assaulting a teacher last week.

The incident took place outside the college campus around midnight on Sep 2.

"Apart from expelling the three students from the hostel, we have also debarred the students from attending classes for six months and imposed a fine of Rs.20, 000 each," principal and chief superintendent of the Assam Medical College T.R. Borbora said.

Last month, Dibrugarh University had expelled one postgraduate student and penalised eight more to varying degrees, including cash penalties.

The tough action was initiated following written complaints against the nine students to the vice chancellor by junior students alleging "mental torture" bordering on obscenity. Source:The Times of India

Ragging at BHU - Nursing students complained

2009-09-10T18:17:00.001+05:30

7 September 2009:VARANASI: Nursing students at BHU have accused their seniors of ragging them, despite the institute taking stringent action against students indulging in such practice. The complaint was made to authorities by freshers of the School of Nursing at the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, on Sunday, a senior official of the university said on Monday.

The freshers alleged "they were taught manners" by their seniors on the evening of September 4 at the Florence Nightangle Hostel on the BHU campus for nursing students.

"The matter is being investigated and if found true, strict action will be taken in this regard," the official said. Earlier, two incidents of ragging were reported in BHU in the current session and accused students slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000 each. Source:The Times of India