Student's eye damaged in alleged ragging-related attack

A student from Changanassery has reported loss of sight in his right eye in an alleged ragging-related attack in an engineering college in Tirunelveli.

Addressing presspersons at the Ernakulam Press Club on Thursday, the victim, a second-year student of National College of Engineering, Maruthakulam, said the senior students from Kerala hit his face with a metal piece at the college hostel on March 19. “They dragged me to the verandah and continued to kick and slap me. By that time, my eyes began to bleed and the college authorities sent me to an eye hospital,” he said.

He said the seniors assaulted him again when he returned to college, despite the intervention of some other senior students and teachers. They threatened to seek the assistance of local anti-social elements against him and made him sign some papers. By April 2, the vision in his right eye was lost. A surgery at a Kochi hospital could restore only 10 per cent of the vision. The doctors said the damage would be permanent.

He said that when his father called up the college principal demanding action against the culprits, the latter ridiculed him and alleged that the father and son were trying to make money out of the incident.

He said the seniors indulging in ragging had been emboldened by the college management's alleged inaction.

His mother said the college was refusing to take action, despite a complaint being sent to the management trust's Dubai office, the police and other authorities. “We paid over Rs.4 lakh in fees and had to spend Rs.2 lakh on my only son's eye treatment. Now, his future is at stake since he may have to discontinue studies,” she said.

Ankle broken for rag charge

Behrampore, April 30: Students who had signed a pledge never to indulge in ragging again thrashed a first-year student of a Murshidabad polytechnic last evening because he had complained to the authorities against them.

Imran Ali Beg, 20, who bled from a cut below his left eye and had a fractured ankle and bruises all over his body, lodged an FIR with police before being admitted to Behrampore General Hospital.

Nefaur Rahman, the surgeon who treated Imran, said: “He was given two stitches under his eye. He has bruises all over his body. An X-ray has revealed a crack in his right ankle. He has to be in hospital for a few more days.”

Imran had come to the privately run Nibedita Institute of Technology in Jalangi from Diamond Harbour in South 24-Parganas — over 250km away — for a diploma in electronics and communications. He was worried today that his heart patient father could be taken ill if told about his condition.

The college has suspended the five accused for a year.

Imran’s classmate Kishore Bawale said the second-year students had been ragging them since they joined last August. The college being only two years old, the second-year students are the senior-most.

“We are mentally tortured and humiliated. We are made to stand holding our ears, do squats and bow our heads every time seniors walk past. They also hurl abuses at us,” said Kishore, who was with Imran and six others when they lodged the complaint in March. “But the anti-ragging committee did not take any action against them,” alleged Kishore.

The college said the committee had conducted a probe in March and summoned the five accused. “They confessed to ragging and apologised. They also gave written undertakings saying they would never indulge in ragging. That’s why the panel let them go,” said Gautam Sarkar, secretary of the college managing committee.

The committee met again yesterday, said principal Satyanarayan Bag. “We have suspended the five and we will help the police probe,” he added

Imran had gone to a tea st-all outside the campus when the five dragged him away. “They hit me with sticks and soft drinks bottles. After about 15 minutes, they went away. I limped to the stall and its owner helped me reach my hostel.”