[ExpressIndia] Student ‘ragged’ in Sinhagad institute hostel’ in Sinhagad institute hostel

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Pune, February 15 A master’s student in marketing management at the Sinhagad Institute of Management in Wadgaon Budruk has been rusticated for allegedly indulging in the ragging of his classmate at the boys’ hostel last week. No police complaint has been lodged in the case. The victim was allegedly made to “lick chappals and drink urine.”

The management had to take this action after a clutch of organisations, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sanghatna (ABVS) and Punekar Vidyarthi Kruti Samiti (PVKS) held protests and demanded action against the guilty.

A letter signed by the institute director Dr Rajashree Shinde states: “Mr Chandratul, student of SIM, Wadgaon of second year of MMM course, was found guilty of indiscipline in the institute hostel and misbehaved with his classmates. This was a serious matter and amounts to gross violation of disciplinary rules in the institute and hostel premises. Pending final decision, he stands rusticated from the institute and boys’ hostel for the academic year 2007-08 forthwith.”

Ram Borkar, president of Kothrud MNS, Mandar Joshi of PVKS and Dilip Singh of ABVS who demanded action against the guilty student, said, “Last week, a local guardian of a student named Mohnish (name changed) from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, brought the victim to us. The youngster told us that one of his classmates attempted to rag him. He said he was even asked to lick the chappals and drink urine. However, the student ran away from the hostel and approached us.”

Then the members of the organisations approached Prof M N Navale, founder-president of the institute, who on Monday last promised to look into the matter after his outstation commitments. Finally, these organisations demanded action against the guilty, to which the authorities had to accede.

A top office-bearer of Sinhagad Technical Education Society denied there was a case of ragging in the institute and said the matter had been blown out of proportion.

“This is the month of February. After some time, exams would be held. So why would a student indulge in ragging at this point of time? There is a minor problem amongst the two boys which could be sorted out. However, we have initiated action against the boy concerned, and he has been rusticated as of now.”