Monday, August 30, 2010

Kanpur engineering student claims he was ragged, police register case

An engineering student of a private college has alleged that he was ragged by his seniors who threatened to beat him up, a charge denied by its management.

On a complaint by the father of Pranshu Singh, 20, a student of B-Tech Computer Science in PSIT Engineering College here, an FIR has been lodged against unidentified students on the charge of attempt to murder (Section 307 of IPC) and under other relevant sections of UP Prohibition of Ragging in Educational Institutions Act, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Lal Bahadur said.

The student, who hails from Aligarh, alleged he was accosted by his seniors who asked him awkward questions after he emerged from his hostel room yesterday.

He alleged that the seniors also threatened to beat him up when he could not answer their queries. A frightened Singh ran from the spot. He claimed that he heard gunshots and fell unconscious after falling into a puddle.

He later approached college officials who took him to a hospital but college authorities said he was receiving treatment for Malaria.

"When Pranshu Singh was brought here, he appeared extremely nervous and frightened. When we examined him, we found that he was suffering from Malaria. But there were no external signs of injury," DV Johri, medical superintendent of Kanpur Medical Centre, said.

College officials denied that it was a ragging incident. They alleged that Singh had "enacted a drama" as he wanted to leave the college to return to his hometown and get a fee refund.

"We have set up a committee to probe the incident. The truth will come out once it submits its report," a college official said.

The SP said, "We are investigating the case. We will quiz the student and college officials."

6 students arrested for ragging

Agencies

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 26:

Police arrested six under-graduate students of a private College at Puthanampatti, near here last night, under the Prohibition of Ragging Act.
Police said four second-year students Ganesan, Babu, Sakthivel and Prabu, and two third-year students Balaji and Kalyanasundaram had caused mental and physical harassment to the complainant, Dinesh Kumar, a first-year student of B.Sc Physics. He was staying in the college hostel.
The arrested had beaten up Dinesh Kumar, inflicting injuries, due to which he had to be admitted to a private hospital at Thuraiyur.

Class XI student of Phagwara school alleges ragging

Phagwara, Aug 18 The family of a class XI student of a local girls school has filed a complaint with authorities here alleging that she was ragged by her seniors.

Dazy, a student of a collegiate school of a women's college, alleged that she was beaten up by her seniors during a ragging session some four months ago.

The family has lodged a written complaint to sub-divisional magistrate Amarjit Paul who forwarded it to the police. City SHO Amrik Singh Chahal said a complaint has been received and it was being investigated.

The head of the educational institution denied that any ragging took place.
- (Agencies)

Aug 18, 2010

Friday, August 20, 2010

Six Goa students evicted from hostel for ragging

2010-08-19 17:30:00

Six medical students were evicted from the Goa Medical College hostel, located near Panaji, for ragging, a top official said Thursday.

GMC Medical Superintendent Rajan Kuncolienkar told reporters that the institute's anti-ragging committee had decided to evict six student from the hostel for ragging in the medical college's residential facility.

'The management has also lodged a formal complaint with the local police station. We are acting as per law,' Kuncolienkar said.

The action, he said was taken after junior students complained that they were ragged by the senior medical students in the hostel over a period of time.

The GMC is among Asia's oldest medical colleges.

Two Haryana students suspended for ragging

2010-08-19 15:10:00

Aug 19 (IANS) A state-run polytechnic for boys here has suspended two students on charges of ragging a junior, officials here said Thursday.

The accused were identified as Ajay Kumar and Parveen, both final year students of the mechanical stream, the officials said. They were suspended on the direction of the anti-ragging cell of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

'A first year student of the electronics stream had told his friend studying in the same polytechnic about the ragging incident. Following this, an anonymous mail was sent to the anti-ragging cell of the UGC,' an official of the polytechnic said.

'The students had named two others (besides the suspended students) in the complaint and accused them of ragging and beating. Following this we got directions from the UGC to inquire into the matter.'

The polytechnic administration has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the ragging case.

Sudhir Gilhotra, principal of this institute, said, 'Incidents of ragging are totally intolerable in our polytechnic and we make it clear to our students right at the time of admission.'

'We have suspended the accused students with immediate effect. Appropriate action will be taken against them once the inquiry committee submits its report,' stated Gilhotra.

Student 'ragged' for not smoking

MOHALI: A student of Rayat and Bahra Engineering College, Mohali, has alleged that he was ragged and mercilessly beaten up by his seniors when he refused to smoke and dance in front of them. However, Mohali police as well as college authorities are maintaining that it was a case of group rivalry as the student was not thrashed by his seniors but nine freshers. Police have reportedly rounded up two persons.

On Tuesday, Gurinder Singh approached the police stating that he was singled out by nine students of his college, who forced him to smoke and dance for them. The victim, Sector 7 resident of Chandigarh, stated that he was thrashed when he refused to do the same. Gurinder was immediately taken to civil hospital, Kharar, where his condition was stated to be stable.

Police have registered a case against the nine students— Amrik, Mohni, Harman Singh, Sakhi and five other unidentified youths—under sections 341, 323, 324, 506, 148, 149, 295 of the IPC at Kharar police station. Dismissing the incident as a case of group rivalry, spokesperson of Rayat and Bahra Engineering College, Sanjeev Tejpal, stated that it was not a case of ragging. “The college has initiated an internal inquiry and would soon unravel the details. We witnessed such a group clash last year as well, when a massive fight had broken out between two rival groups. Since only one person has been singled out this time, it appeared to be a case of ragging,” he added. Stating that the college has also lodged a complaint, Tejpal said that it would soon be obvious that it was not a ragging incident.

Meanwhile, Kharar SHO Harsimranjit Singh Bal said two students— Harmanjot Singh and Amrik Singh— had already been arrested in the case, while efforts were on to nab others too. “Gurinder was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. He is undergoing treatment at civil hospital, Kharar,” he added.

During initial probe, it was found that the youths accused of ragging had recently joined the college. “They have denied any involvement. We suspect another youth, Rana, to be behind the fight. Efforts are on to nab him,” the SHO stated.

“Those arrested are first-year students, who joined the college 10 days ago,” the SHO said, adding that it would
soon become clear whether it was a case of ragging or group rivalry.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tech boy raises ragging charge - Bankura student to discontinue study at SIT

Siliguri, Aug. 16: A first-year student of the Siliguri Institute of Technology was forced to return to his Bankura home yesterday after he was allegedly ragged by two senior boys who beat him up with shoes and forced his face into a commode at a private hostel here.

The father of the victim has lodged an FIR at the Pradhannagar police station against Kaushik Chakraborty and Aritra Bhattacharya, accusing them of physically and mentally torturing Riju Ghosh, who was pursuing a BTech course in computer science at the SIT.

While Kaushik is a BCA student at the SIT, Aritra is pursuing electrical engineering course at Surendra Institute of Engineering and Management (SIEM). Both are into the second year of their courses

“There are around 10-12 students at the private hostel at Pradhannagar. Five of them, including my son, were first-year students, while others are senior to them at different colleges. Riju had been staying in the boarding since August 9 when first-year classes began at the SIT. He was facing physical and mental torture from some of the seniors,” said Subir Ghosh, Riju’s father.

Ghosh said Riju had never told his parents about the ragging.

“He feared the seniors would torture him more if they found out that he had been complaining. When I or his mother asked him if he was being treated well at the hostel, he would avoid giving any reply. We never suspected anything foul. However, the situation turned ugly on Friday night when the seniors tortured him so much that my son went into shock. One of his friends called me up in the dead of night to tell me about his condition. I immediately boarded a bus and reached Siliguri on Saturday,” Ghosh said over the phone from Bankura.

The father reached Bankura with Riju this morning.

According to Ghosh, Riju was suffering from fever on Friday night.

“The other senior students had gone home for the weekend and only Kaushik and Aritra were present. They called the junior boys to their rooms and asked them to do sit-ups 250 times, sing and dance. They were also forced to smoke ganja. Riju was feeling feeble and requested the seniors to spare him. But Kaushik and Aritra were not ready to relent. My son did what they asked him to as long as he could. But he started feeling weak and could not carry on any more,” said Ghosh.

But the senior boys refused to listen. They beat Riju with shoes and forcibly took him to the toilet.

“The seniors put my face in the commode and turned on the flush,” Riju.

Ghosh said Riju would never be sent back to the college.

“I will never send my son back to that college even if it means he will lose an academic year. I have spoken to the SIT authorities and requested them to take severe steps against the guilty students. Riju has been examined by a doctor in Bankura. The doctor said my son is depressed and prescribed some medicines,” said Ghosh.

The 48-year-old man runs a grocery shop near his house at Natunganj in Bankura.

Riju’s mother Ruplekha, too, is against sending the boy back to Siliguri.

“We hope he gets admission to any college here. He may have to change stream but it is better than facing such horrific situations. His career is shattered; I hope the culprits are punished so that other boys like Riju don’t go through such situations,” she said.

The SIT authorities admitted having received a verbal complaint from the boy’s father.

“We were informed of the incident by Riju’s guardians as well as police authorities. The college has an anti-ragging committee that will start an inquiry immediately. We do not encourage students indulging in ragging and in case the boy against whom the allegation has been levelled is found guilty, we can either suspend or rusticate him,” said Gautam Das, the principal-in-charge of the SIT.

Principal of the SIEM said the college had not received any complaint. “We have received no complaint so far. However, we take undertakings from students during admissions that they can face severe consequences if they indulge in ragging. We will start an inquiry and if the student is found guilty, we will suspend or rusticate him,” said R.K. Jha, the SIEM principal.

The police, too, are investigating the case.

“We received the complaint yesterday and have already started an investigation,” said Swapan Ghosh, the inspector in charge at Pradhannagar police station.

According to police sources, the Supreme Court had ruled in February, 2009, that all cases of ragging had to be reported to police who would then immediately set in motion criminal laws. The court had also observed that ragging is a “human rights abuse”.

Aritra and Kaushik were removed from the three-storied private hostel yesterday. Shivotosh Chakraborty, the owner of the facility, said he often kept tabs on the boarders.

“We regularly check on the boys to find out if they are facing any difficulties. We had asked Riju also whether he had any complaints. But he did not talk about any sort of harassment and neither did the other first-year students. We came to know about the ragging only after Riju’s father came here on Saturday. Both Aritra and Kaushik were asked to vacate the hostel and they left yesterday. While Kaushik’s maternal uncle and father came and took him away, Aritra left saying that he would shift to a friend’s house,” Chakraborty said.

Teen falls from hostel building, dies, parents allege ragging

A 19-year-old BTech first-year student at SRM University’s NCR campus in Modi Nagar fell from the fourth floor of his college hostel building late on Sunday night. On Monday evening, he succumbed to injuries. Although his family members alleged he was pushed down from the building by seniors who were ragging him, university authorities and his classmates called it an accident.
Abhishek Sahai, son of an engineer working for a private firm in Ranchi, joined the hostel a week back and had gone to the top floor of the under-construction building of his hostel at around 9.30 pm on Sunday from where he mysteriously fell 45 feet between the two campus blocks, police said.

Sahai was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Ghaziabad and thereafter referred to Fortis hospital in Noida where he died.

“His spinal cord broke from three places. He had suffered brain haemorrhage,” said a family member.

The victim's brother-in-law Piyush Kumar and his uncle Praful Kumar told Hindustan Times that the incident was a result of ragging at the college. “His brother had come to Delhi and wanted to meet him. But he sent a text message on August 14 stating that ragging was going on. He also posted status update on facebook about ragging,” Piyush Kumar told Hindustan Times.

However, the university denied ragging was behind the incident.

“This is just an accident and no ragging has ever taken place in our campus. The boy was talking over his phone and went to the under-construction top-floor from where he accidentally fell down,” dean Manoj Pandey told HT.

College officials also said the under-construction top-floor was completely blocked and no entry was allowed.

Abhishek's Facebook account ID mentioned: “Ragging is on, maza aa raha hai (we are having fun).” Family members said that there were no incoming or outgoing calls on the victim's mobile phone in a span of two hours before the incident.

The victim's roommates — Razi Ahmed and A. Ishwar — told HT at SRM campus that five boys, including the victim, had been cracking jokes in the front room when he went out. “After 15-20 minutes, we heard that he had fallen down,” said the boys. “There was no ragging.”

Following the incident, the SRM-University officials suspended classes for around a week and students were asked to leave. Superintendent of Police (SP) Capt. M.M. Baig said that police investigations will start as soon as the FIR is lodged at Niwari police station. “Family is free to lodge an FIR into the case and the matter would also be investigated thoroughly for any ragging incident,” Baig said.

Engineering student turns nervous wreck after ragging

2010-08-16 18:10:00
Bengal), Aug 16 (IANS) A first year engineering student of a private technological institute here in Darjeeling district turned into a nervous wreck after being ragged for several days by two seniors in a students' mess, his family said.

The father of the victim Riju Ghosh, who hails from Bankura district, has filed a police complaint in the Pradhan Nagar police station of this sub-division against two senior students, who had been allegedly ragging him at the private mess since Aug 9.

'Two senior students, one of whom is from our institute of the Siliguri Institute of Technology (SIT), and the other from a neighbouring institute used to rag me daily.

'They used to beat me up, strip me of my clothes and parade me naked, besides indulging in other forms of torture. Those two boys now have become horror to me. They wouldn't allow me to study even,' said Riju, who is now under medication and bedridden in his house in Bankura district.

Riju's father Subir Ghosh demanded that the two students be rusticated from their respective institutes and stern police action be taken against them.

'I want these students to be rusticated from their institutes. I had a tough time arranging funds for my son's admission and now I had to take away him away from that institute. I don't know what my son will do now,' he said.

'The inspector in charge of Pradhan Nagar police station has received the complaint. Investigation is on,' said Gaurab Sharma, additional superintendent of police, Siliguri.

The names of the two accused have not been disclosed during investigation.

Meanwhile, SIT principal Goutam Das said an anti-ragging committee was being formed in the institute. 'They will probe the matter. If the charges are found to be true, then the accused who is a second year student of our institute, could be suspended or even rusticated.'

FIR against three MBA students in ragging case

Two students who wanted to take admission in the Vishveswarya Institute of Engineering and Technology at Dadri were allegedly ragged and assaulted by three senior students on Friday evening. VIET Chairman VK Jindal, told HT, “An FIR has been lodged against the senior students and their rustication process has been initiated.”
“On the complaint of security guard Satish Kumar, an FIR under IPC section 323 and section 308 has been registered against MBA students Piyush Garg, Sachin Nagar and Pravinder Bhatti. All the three accused are absconding,” said Rahul Kumar, DSP.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Two more Himachal students arrested for ragging

2010-08-11 19:40:00

Two more students were arrested Wednesday on charges of ragging their juniors in a private professional university in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, police said.

Four students of Manav Bharti University near Kumarhatti - Hirdesh Sharma, Chetan, Parshant Kashyap and Madan Lal - were booked Tuesday for bullying and manhandling nearly 30 students of the university.

Chetan was arrested immediately after the incident.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Ramesh Pathania told IANS that police were on the lookout for Hirdesh, the fourth accused.

He said a youth who accompanied the accused at the time of the crime was also arrested.

The scuffle allegedly took place outside the university campus as the students were staying in a rented accommodation.

University Director S.P. Bhardwaj said all the accused have been suspended and barred from appearing in any university exams.

After the death of Aman Kachru, a first year student who was allegedly ragged to death by four senior students of the Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda near Kangra town last year, the state government has made ragging a cognisable, non-bailable offence compoundable with the permission of the court.

Any student convicted of the offence will be punished with imprisonment up to three years or fine of up to Rs.50,000 or both.

The offender will be expelled from the institution and will not be eligible for admission in any other institution for a period of three years.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

'Faiz was disturbed over ragging of juniors'

LUCKNOW: What was happening in Guru Gobind Singh Sports College or for that matter with Faiz Alam for the past over a week? Why did he come to his Indiranagar house on July 27 and went back to college after three days on July 30? Was it because of rampant ragging of juniors in the college?

These questions have gained significance as Faiz's body was found outside the college's swimming pool on August 4. His body was spotted by the guard of the college at around 10.30 am that day.

Faiz was actually upset for the last one month or so regarding college affairs, said his elder brother Shahnawaz, who is pursuing a veterinary course at Tanuvas University in Chennai.

"Though Faiz did not tell all these things to mom, at times he did tell me about some issues and dispute among students," he added. "I had been asking him to keep his cool and concentrate on school activities," he said.

Ragging was one issue for which he had been under pressure, claimed Shahnawaz. Elaborating, he said Faiz had told him that he had been protesting against ragging of his juniors since he had suffered because of this when he took admission in 2008. In fact, he even had a dispute with five or six students, including a senior over the same issue, he claimed.

For Shahnawaz, it is beyond his understanding that Faiz would have gone to the swimming pool all alone. Reason: Faiz was actually scared of going near water, leave alone whether he could swim or not.

According to Faiz's family members, he had come to his Indiranagar house on July 27 and looked upset. His mother Shaheen Bano did ask him, but did not get any reply.

Otherwise always smiling, Faiz looked upset and the fact was noticed by his neighbours also. Since he was a very good cricketer of the area, he was quite famous among the neighbours. Besides, of course, he was well-mannered, said his neighbour, Prem Kumar.

He did look upset all those three days when he stayed at the house, he added. "We even discussed it with his mother," Prem added.

Shaheen, an employee with animal husbandry department, then called up his cricket coach Deepak Sharma, who denied anything wrong happening with him in the college, said Shahnawaz.

All efforts to contact the coach proved futile, as the calls made by TOI were not attended by him.

In fact, he asked her to come to the college if she wanted to talk to him, he said.

On July 30, Shaheen went to the college and was assured by the coach that there was no issue and told her to relax. On the evening of the same day, Faiz returned to the college.

However, he came to his house again on July 31, Saturday. He used to come to the house every Saturday and used to go back by Sunday evening, Shahnawaz confirmed.

Faiz though did not tell anything to his mother, he had called up his brother on August 2. According to Shahnawaz, Faiz had told him that everything was not well in the college and seniors were hell bent upon ragging juniors and they wanted him to support them and not to protest against it. However, he was told by Shahnawaz to stay focused on his sports activity and not to indulge in these activities.

"Faiz had also told me that a senior had been suspended on July 26 for this reason only," he added.

Faiz's family members believe that there is some link between his death and the ragging activities in the college. They also are sure that Faiz did not go alone to the pool and someone did accompany him.

The police also believe that someone did accompany him and were trying to find out those who went with him.

DIG Rajeev Krishna said that all angles were being probed and the IO was talking to every individual who was directly or indirectly connected with Faiz.

Ragging `tradition' continues at MU

LUCKNOW: The monster of ragging seems to be dying a slow death in other institutions of Lucknow, but it's alive and kicking in the Century old Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU). Have doubts over this? Read on.

Military cut hair and red socks for boys, simple tied hair for girls... that's the dress code for the new entrants at the medical varsity. This happens when the father batch (or the immediate senior) is not present on the campus as their examinations have finished. Officials claim that a majority of the students have gone back to their homes.

But authorities at the university dismissed this as tradition. "There is no defined dress code for students but they are told to wear white dress so that they may be separated from the other students,'' claimed Prof Abbas Mahdi, chief proctor, CSMMU. When asked to comment on the logic behind the red socks and military cut hair, he said, "This could be a coincidence." However, he could find no reason for the hair style. Asked to comment if the third or fourth year students could have passed on the methods, he said, "There is remote possibility for this. They are so busy with classes and practical work that they do not have any time for all this."

It may be noted that as per Supreme Court judgment delivered by Justice RC Lahoti and Justice Brijesh Kumar in Vishwa Jagriti Mission versus Union of India in May 2004, ragging is "Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student."

The judgment added, "the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student. The cause of indulging in ragging is deriving a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by the seniors over their juniors or freshers.''

Read more: Ragging `tradition' continues at MU - Lucknow - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Ragging-tradition-continues-at-MU/articleshow/6254085.cms#ixzz0w1XsDpNd

Panic on campus as student alleges ragging

CHANDIGARH: Panic spread on Panjab University campus after a fresher of department of chemical engineering and technology alleged ragging. Shocked authorities swung into action after the student called his parents, saying "seniors took his introduction and made him dance in hostel". The student has submitted a written complaint to the hostel warden.

Official sources said his parents called the vice-chancellor office and informed the authorities about the incident. However, when PU officials met the student, he narrated the incident, but claimed that it was "not actually ragging".

Sources said the boy, who hailed from Delhi and resided in boys' hostel number three, on Tuesday evening called his father. His father then called the secretary to V-C who further informed the V-C about the incident. The hostel warden was asked to look into the matter, sources added.

MC Sidhu, warden of the hostel, confirmed that he had received a complaint and said he was verifying whether it was a ragging incident. However, when the warden showed pictures of hostel residents to him, he failed to identify the students. "He was shown pictures of other hostel residents too. But, he failed to recognise the students who came to his room. He does not even know the rooms of those students," sources added. T

hough the authorities were told about the incident in the evening, the hostel warden, even after questioning the student for hours, failed to ascertain whether ragging actually took place or not. "I am looking into the matter. We are yet to find out what had actually happened," Sidhu said. Following the incident, PU security guards were alerted and asked to conduct regular rounds in hostels. No police complaint was made till the filing of the report.

Hislop probe finds no ragging evidence

NAGPUR: A day after ragging allegations rocked the 125-year-old Hislop College, the management acted quickly to set up a fact finding headed by lecturer AN Joseph. The alleged ragging case, reported by TOI on Friday, related to harassment of BSc first year students by senior biotechnology students.

Charlie commandos of city police rushed to the college about 1 pm on Thursday after receiving a call from some student that ragging was under way in the Gardiner block and searched all rooms. However, they failed to find anything as by then everybody had dispersed.

According to junior students, the seniors led by BSc second and third year students had sought permission from college teachers to conduct an "introduction" session with the juniors on Thursday. Even a senior lecturer from biotechnology department had addressed the juniors students telling them not to worry before leaving the room. He had reportedly told them that they were rude to their seniors and therefore the session is must to become familiar with each other.

The teachers had granted permission to seniors to miss two periods for the session. Later, the seniors reportedly started harassing the juniors leading to the entire drama. The students disclosed that they were being ragged since start of the new academic session and seniors were quite harsh with them. The students had reportedly lodged complaints with the college authorities too.

The students told TOI that they had even given a letter saying "sorry" to the seniors for behaving rudely but still they were being threatened. The fact finding committee of college that included RJ Andrew, MA Anjankar, P Banerjee and P Shelke, however, unanimously concluded "there is no shred of evidence that establishes the truth about alleged ragging incident".

The report of the panel, in possession of TOI, mentions that the entire incident was nothing but malicious intent of a few disgruntled elements to tarnish college's reputation. "The committee after due consideration of details of the case, concludes that the charge of ragging made by certain unreliable sources is nothing more than an unfounded error," it says.

The committee questioned the students of all three years of BSc biotechnology. The first year students categorically denied they were subjected to any kind of abuse by seniors. The panel members also spoke to senior students on their behaviour with the juniors and found nothing in their attitude or action that could be construed as aggressive.

The members also interacted with the head of department, faculty members and administrative staff of the biotechnology department regarding the ragging incident and found that "there is absolutely no truth in the allegations of ragging".

Sudipto Singh, secretary of Church of North India (CNI), which manages Hislop College, told TOI that he spoke to all junior and senior students and none of them reported any such incident taking place. "The alleged case may be a prank call. If such a thing happens in the college, I will be the first person to take action," he asserted. He said still he would strengthen the anti-ragging panel and focus would be on orientation of students. "We had provided students with phone numbers to contact if they are harassed," Singh said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Shiv Sena submitted a memorandum to the college authorities to probe the incident that was widely reported in the media. There was an eerie silence in the sprawling college premises on Friday. Entry was restricted to the identity card holders. Even the pan and tea kiosks operating in front of the college were removed by the police as many anti-social elements made them their den.

Read more: Hislop probe finds no ragging evidence - Nagpur - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Hislop-probe-finds-no-ragging-evidence/articleshow/6239707.cms#ixzz0w1RtTs5w

Student alleges ragging, but cops arrest seniors for brawl Read more: Student alleges ragging, but cops arrest seniors for brawl - Jaipur - City - Th

JAIPUR: Six students of a city-based hotel management institute were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly creating a ruckus in Bani Park police station after they were summoned there following a complaint of ragging.

According to the police, a first year student of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Krishna Varma, approached the police claiming that six students of second and third year were harassing him. Varma and the seniors are staying in the institute's hostel on Sikar Road in Bani Park.

"Six students — Vipin Malik, Tarun Jodh Singh, Ishan Rajoria, Dilip Chauhan, Vipin Kishore and Pratik Kumar — used to harass Varma," said Ashok Chauhan, incharge of Bani Park police station.

"They would go to his room and wake him up in the wee hours saying that he could not sleep without their permission. Then they would make him stand in unusual positions. The ragging continued for a week before the victim approached us on Monday," said Chauhan.

CO, Sadar, Bajrang Singh said that the six accused were summoned to the station. However, after reaching the station, Varma and the senior students picked up a fight in the station premises. The police then booked the six students under Section 151 of CrPC for disturbing peace.

‘19 died due to ragging last academic year’

New Delhi: At least 19 students including four girls died due to ragging during the previous academic year, data tabulated by an anti-ragging organization revealed on Tuesday. It also claimed that there is a significant jump in the number of ragging incidents during 2009-10 academic year as compared to the previous two years.

The Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE), that has also helped the Supreme Court appointed committee to frame guidelines on ragging, said in the last 12 months 19 cases of deaths and 4 cases of attempted suicides allegedly due to ragging were reported. The number of cases reported during the time was 164 as against 88 in 2008-09, and 89 in 2007-08.

The highest incidents were reported from Uttar Pradesh (26), Andhra Pradesh (18), Tamil Nadu (14), Kerela (13) and West Bengal (11). As per the ragging deaths Maharashtra and West Bengal with four deaths each were leading the infamous table, the organization claimed.

On the positive side, in 2009-10 academic session police intervention was noted in 66% of the total ragging cases as compared to 59% the year before, said Harsh Aggarwal, co-founder of CURE. Officially, ragging is banned in India.

On ragging list, TN stands third

July 27: Tamil Nadu has the dubious distinction of ranking third in the number of ragging incidents reported from across the country, a Delhi-based study states.

The study by Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE), an anti-ragging advocacy group, says 14 cases of ragging were reported from Tamil Nadu in 2009-10, next to Andhra Pradesh with 18 and Uttar Pradesh, which tops the list with 26 cases. An alarming fact is that the number of ragging cases in the country, totalling 164, apart from 19 deaths allegedly due to the torture inflicted by seniors, have doubled this year, as compared to 88 reported incidents and 12 deaths in 2008-09.

Closer home, a recent case of teasing on college campus gone deadly is that of S. Shoban Babu, 19, a first year student of a private engineering college in Coimbatore from Sivagangai district, who was allegedly thrown out of the fourth floor of the college hostel by a group of seniors at midnight on October 22, last year. The teenager, hailing from a poor family, is bed-ridden for life.

Even as the Supreme Court has passed an order making it compulsory to form anti-ragging committees in each college, educationists are stressing the importance of creating a healthy environment on campus.

Dr Thangaraj, vice chancellor, Anna University of Technology, says colleges should start counselling cell for students. “Colleges should create friendly environment among juniors and seniors. Ragging can be solved if college managements take enough steps to become bridge between the students,” he adds.

According to Madras University vice chancellor Dr G. Thiruvasagam, the university has placed ‘black box’ in all colleges for students to report any case of ragging to the VC directly. “We have had no case of ragging until today, however we have convened a meeting of college principals on August 7 to discuss various issues.”

SC tough stance fails to check ragging

New Delhi, July 28
A year after Aman Kachroo’s death due to ragging, the menace rages on, with the 2009-10 academic session witnessing the highest number of ragging cases and deaths in recent academic history.

In 2008-09, over 88 ragging incidents and 12 deaths were reported across India. The ragging incidents doubled at 164 in the last academic session, which saw 19 deaths, besides posting a marked rise in ragging involving girl victims -- four of them died while two committed suicide.

The ground situation, analysed in the latest report of CURE (Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education), paints a grim picture of preventive strategies, which the government was supposed to evolve to protect students from humiliation at institutions.

Despite the Supreme Court directions last year to come down heavily on raggers, the HRD Ministry sufficed to launch a national anti-ragging helpline after Aman Kachroo’s death. The helpline remains ineffective in tracking cases to the finish. Though the UGC and AICTE issued ambitious guidelines in May last saying erring institutions would be penalised to the extent of de-recognition in extreme cases of violence against students, not one college has even been put on notice for allowing ragging to flourish, let alone blacklisting the said college.

Among the states, UP tops the ragging charts, accounting for 26 of 164 cases; Andhra reported 18, Tamil Nadu 14, Kerela 13 and West Bengal 11 cases. The highest number of ragging deaths was registered in Maharashtra (4), West Bengal (4) and Punjab (3); together, these states make up 57 per cent of all ragging deaths in India.

Deaths apart, 56 cases of ragging led to major injuries, including hospitalization and permanent disability, to students. About 22 per cent cases involved the sexual abuse of entrants while 24 cases led to serious group clashes and violence. In 19 cases, drug abuse, alcoholism and extortion triggered the violence.

The report documents the poignant case of Nayan Adak, a 19-year-old first year student of Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, whose seniors stripped him naked and slashed his veins when he went to college. Although Nayan survived the assault, he eventually hanged himself on October 8 last upon being forced by parents to rejoin college.

Most ragging incidents (42 per cent) happened in engineering and medical colleges. Hostels and paying guest accommodation remained the breeding ground for such violence, as 56 per cent of ragging incidents happened here.

Menace rages on

2009-10 session witnesses most deaths in recent history.

57 per cent deaths in Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal.

Not a single college de-recognised by the government.

SC tough stance fails to check ragging

New Delhi, July 28


A year after Aman Kachroo’s death due to ragging, the menace rages on, with the 2009-10 academic session witnessing the highest number of ragging cases and deaths in recent academic history.

In 2008-09, over 88 ragging incidents and 12 deaths were reported across India. The ragging incidents doubled at 164 in the last academic session, which saw 19 deaths, besides posting a marked rise in ragging involving girl victims -- four of them died while two committed suicide.

The ground situation, analysed in the latest report of CURE (Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education), paints a grim picture of preventive strategies, which the government was supposed to evolve to protect students from humiliation at institutions.

Despite the Supreme Court directions last year to come down heavily on raggers, the HRD Ministry sufficed to launch a national anti-ragging helpline after Aman Kachroo’s death. The helpline remains ineffective in tracking cases to the finish. Though the UGC and AICTE issued ambitious guidelines in May last saying erring institutions would be penalised to the extent of de-recognition in extreme cases of violence against students, not one college has even been put on notice for allowing ragging to flourish, let alone blacklisting the said college.

Among the states, UP tops the ragging charts, accounting for 26 of 164 cases; Andhra reported 18, Tamil Nadu 14, Kerela 13 and West Bengal 11 cases. The highest number of ragging deaths was registered in Maharashtra (4), West Bengal (4) and Punjab (3); together, these states make up 57 per cent of all ragging deaths in India.

Deaths apart, 56 cases of ragging led to major injuries, including hospitalization and permanent disability, to students. About 22 per cent cases involved the sexual abuse of entrants while 24 cases led to serious group clashes and violence. In 19 cases, drug abuse, alcoholism and extortion triggered the violence.

The report documents the poignant case of Nayan Adak, a 19-year-old first year student of Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, whose seniors stripped him naked and slashed his veins when he went to college. Although Nayan survived the assault, he eventually hanged himself on October 8 last upon being forced by parents to rejoin college.

Most ragging incidents (42 per cent) happened in engineering and medical colleges. Hostels and paying guest accommodation remained the breeding ground for such violence, as 56 per cent of ragging incidents happened here.

Menace rages on

2009-10 session witnesses most deaths in recent history.

57 per cent deaths in Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal.

Not a single college de-recognised by the government.


Ragging cases double, deaths rise too: Report

PUNE: The academic year 2009-10 registered has highest number of raggingdeaths in recent times in the country. Maharashtra is one of the two states that have registered highest number of deaths owing to ragging. An analysis of Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE), has claimed. The organisation has come out with its statistics, which points that ragging percentage is high in Engineering and Medical Colleges.

Established in 2001, CURE, Delhi is an anti-ragging non-profit organization. According to CURE's latest analysis of ragging in India, the academic session 2009-10 registered highest number of ragging deaths in recent times. In the last 12 months, 19 cases of deaths and 4 cases of attempted suicides allegedly due to ragging were reported. The year also witnessed a marked increase in the number of ragging incidents involving girls, including 4 cases of deaths and 2 cases of attempted suicides by girl students.

According to the organisation, in the academic session 2009-10 (July, 2009 June, 2010) a total of 164 cases of ragging were reported. This shows that ragging cases reported have doubled this academic year. The maximum number of ragging deaths were recorded in Maharashtra (4), West Bengal (4) and Punjab (3) registered maximum deaths due to ragging. It is alarming to observe that 4 states comprise to 57% of the total ragging deaths across the country. The highest incidents were reported from Uttar Pradesh (26), Andhra Pradesh (18), Tamil Nadu (14), Kerela (13) and West Bengal (11). In comparison to last year, Tamil Nadu is a new entrant to this list, whereas Punjab has exited the list.

There were 56 cases of ragging that led to major and minor injuries to students including several incidents leading to hospitalization and even permanent disability to young students. 22% of the total cases involved sexual abuse of freshers. 24 cases of ragging led to serious group clashes, protests and strikes and violence between students. Element of drug abuse, alcoholism, extortion, caste difference or regionalism was noted in 19 ragging cases.

Like the previous years, this year also, high percentage of cases were reported from Engineering and Medical Colleges with a total of 68 cases (42% the total cases). Hostels and paying guest accommodation for students still remain to be the breeding ground for ragging as 91 cases or 56% of the total cases were reported from these places located in and around the campus area.

"We have been studying the reports in the leading newspapers in the country. Our analysis based on the data collected from these reports," Harsh Agarwal, Co-founder, CURE told TOI.

Agrawal, who was one of the consultants to the Raghavan committee, constituted to carry report on Ragging in the country "With so much fear, mystery and secrecy associated with ragging the only way to analyse the situation of ragging in the country is to track media reports and explore the trends and nature of this evil, " he said, "Finding other sources for data collection was tough, as no specific section such as deaths due to ragging' is present in National Crime Record Bureau."

Other co founder of the organisation Varun Aggarwal stated that more efforts are required to deal with the problem "Our analysis states the obvious: Ragging is still widespread and its social impact is non-trivial. There is a lot of talk, but little work. A simple question to ask is how many educational institutions were fined or de-affiliated for breeding ragging, The unfortunate answer is 0." says Varun Aggarwal, Co-founder, CURE.

When contacted to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) the officials stated that no specific section for deaths due to ragging is present. "If the student committees suicide then the death is reported under the head of suicides. If the students are minor then they are reported under the deaths of minor and If the student is murdered then it is reported under the section of murder," R B Singh, statistics officer of NCRB, Delhi told TOI, adding, "We don't have a specific section to record death due to ragging."

Despite repetative contacts higher and technical minister of the state Rajesh Tope was not available for comment.

Ragging stays put on campuses

New Delhi: July 27, DHNS:

Ragging has spread its tentacles far and wide in the country, despite a media campaign against the social evil and police action, with the number of cases on campuses in 2009-10 doubling over the previous year, an NGO report shows.

A total of 164 ragging cases and 19 deaths related to the menace were reported across the country during the July 2009-June 2010, a report by the Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE) says.

Four suicide attempts were also reported during this period. Two of these cases involved girls, among whom the incidents of ragging have gone up phenomenally. Four girls have also fallen victim to the menace in the last academic year.

These figures are nearly double the 2008-09 count. The number of deaths reported is also more, with seven more cases in 2009-10 as compared to the 2008-09 figure.
Ironically, the increase in ragging cases could be due to wider coverage by the media. However, the increase in the number of deaths is a matter of concern.

Uttar Pradesh reported 26 ragging cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 18, Tamil Nadu 14, Kerala 13 and West Bengal 11. Tamil Nadu is a new entrant to this list. Maharashtra registered four deaths, West Bengal four and Punjab three.

In 56 of the 164 cases, students suffered injuries, including permanent disability. Around 22 per cent involved sexual abuse. Twenty-four cases led to serious group clashes and violence among students. Drug abuse, alcoholism, extortion, caste difference or regionalism were noted in 19 cases.

The most shocking case of this year was of Nayan Adak, a 19-year-old student of Calcutta Institute of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, who was asked by his seniors to dance, strip and smoke. When he refused, the seniors slashed his wrist with a blade and injected a drug into his body. Nayan was so depressed that he tried to commit suicide, but was rescued.

When his father asked him to rejoin classes, a distraught Nayan preferred death to studies. The incident shows gross societal failure wherein, even after intervention from social security institutions, the victim could not be saved.

Sixty-eight ragging cases or 42 per cent of the total incidents were reported from engineering and medical colleges.

Hostels and paying guest accommodation for students remained the breeding ground for ragging, with 91 cases or 56 per cent of the cases.
On the positive side, 2009-10 year witnessed an increase in the registration of FIR in ragging cases.

Police intervention was noted in 66 per cent of the incidents as against 59 per cent in 2008-09.
DH News Service