[MumbaiMirror] Senior medical students held for ragging junior

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Anti-ragging panel set up on Supreme Court orders in March this year has found 2 students of Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Kalwa guilty of cruelly ragging 19-year-old first year student on August 1

Nilesh Nikade / Santosh Andhale

Following the ragging incident, Hanumant Gujad (left) is left with scars on his neck and hands and suffers from a severe backache. But despite his sufferings, he has written to the college dean Dr D B Kulkarni (right) to forgive his oppressors and let them off

The first case of ragging to be investigated by an anti-ragging committee in an educational institution was reported from Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Kalwa, last week. Two senior students have been implicated by the committee for cruelly ragging a first year MBBS student on August 1.

According to 19-year-old victim Hanumant Gujad’s statement to the committee, at 12.30 am on August 1, Gupta D S, a final year MBBS student barged into his room on the fourth floor of the hostel and asked him to accompany him. Hanumant was taken to the seniors’ section of the hostel. “Gupta asked me about some other first year students and then told me to bow and introduce myself again. He then suddenly started bullying and abusing me. When I looked up he slapped me,” Hanumant said.

He was then dragged into the room of Paresh Gotpagar, an intern at the Chhatrapati Shivaji hospital attached to the college. As soon as he entered, Gupta kicked him from behind. Hanumant alleges both the seniors, who seemed drunk, repeatedly kicked and punched him until he fell.

Hanumant has scars on his neck and hands and now suffers from a severe backache. Hanumant says, “They finally let me return to my room. I felt like committing suicide. However, I gathered the courage to report the incident on the very next day.”

College authorities quickly registered a medico-legal complaint and took the matter to the Kalwa police on August 2. Senior police inspector, K T Vidhate, Kalwa police station said, “The guilty students were brought in, but we have asked the college to submit a detailed report of the incident. Based on the report, action will be taken.”

Dr D B Kulkarni, dean of the college said, “The college’s anti-ragging committee has already prepared the report and has found the two seniors guilty. The report will be submitted to the police on Saturday. Meanwhile, we have informed Gupta’s and Gotpagar’s parents about their misconduct. We are also talking with the Thane Municipal Commissioner to discuss what action to take. We can fine the students or ask them to leave the hostel.”

Meanwhile, Hanumant has given a letter to the dean asking him to let the seniors off saying ‘they should be forgiven’.

Dr W B Tayade, director of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said, “We have not received any complaint from either the college or the student. I will look into the matter and if found guilty the concerned students will be punished.”

Anti-ragging committee

The committee, headed by former CBI director R K Raghavan had been formed by the Union Human Resources and Development ministry on the order of the Supreme Court in March this year. The committee asked colleges to set up their own committees and warned them that grants would be cut if they did not prevent ragging. The SC at the time had said that responsibility for ragging incidents on college premises clearly rests with the college.
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