Thursday, September 12, 2013

West Bengal: 10 hurt in campus clash over ragging

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-06/kolkata/41832343_1_campus-clash-ten-students-college-authorities

 DURGAPUR: First-year and final-year students of Bengal College of Engineering and Technology in Durgapur clashed at the college hostel late on Wednesday after the first-year students accused their seniors of ragging. Ten students have been arrested for rioting on campus, based on complaints at New Town police by the college authorities.

No arrests have been made in connection with ragging. Ten students have also been injured in the violence, six of whom have been hospitalized, said police. According to police, the clash was reported at 8.15pm on Wednesday. "There was load shedding in the hostel in Durgapur's Bidhan Nagar area around 8pm. All students stay in this hostel.

Minutes later, the first-year students alleged that they were being ill-treated and ragged by the seniors for the past several days. This triggered a clash between the two groups and several students were injured," said a police officer. The situation was brought under control after ACP Sylvamurugan reached the spot with a large police force.

A police picket has been posted on the campus to prevent further clash. The six students who are undergoing treatment at a private hospital have been identified as Udit Narayan Jena, Sumit Ghatak, Sourav Chakraborty, Anand Mohan, Pawan Kumar Das and Kumar Abhinav.

All of them are students of the first semester of computer science. Following the clash, college authorities lodged two separate FIRs. While the first case pertains to rioting on campus in which arrests have been made, the other complaint — which deals with ragging — has been lodged against unknown people.

Of the 10 students held, eight are from first year and the remaining from the final year. Asansol police commissioner Vineet Goel confirmed the arrests. "We are probing the case further as there are serious allegations of ragging,'' said Goel. Institute director S B Ganguly said the case was being probed internally.

"Our anti-ragging committee is also looking into the case. The police have been provided all help. We will take action against erring students once we receive both reports and the allegations are proven. Ragging will not be tolerated in our institute,'' he said.

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