Ragging scars teen, guilty go free

8 Sep 2008, 0413 hrs IST, Balwant Garg, TNN
FARIDKOT: The continuous pain of being ragged for over a week at a veterinary college in Jaipur has affected a 19-year student of Faridkot so much that he is undergoing psychiatric treatment and counselling.

Despite a criminal case being registered against the four students for the ragging offence on August 22, no action has been taken against the accused. Parents of the victim alleged that the police and the college authorities are making all efforts to 'save' the erring students as all of them belong to influential families. “While my son is undergoing psychiatric treatment and one precious year of his academic career has been destroyed, the college authorities and the parents of the erring students are threatening us to withdraw the case,” alleged Satish Kumar, a Faridkot resident.

Parteek, a first-year student of the Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine in Jaipur was forced to leave the college, a week after he had joined it. During his stay at the college hostel, Parteek underwent a traumatic experience. Some of his drug-addicted hostel seniors cut off his hair assaulted him and forced to move around the campus naked. On August 19 night, after giving him a severe thrashing, the accused student forced Parteek to leave the college hostel and the boy took shelter in a community inn at odd hours.

“A terrorized Parteek informed us, and the next day we reached his college. But, attitude of the authorities was very casual. When I requested the college dean, Dr SS Rathore, to take necessary action against the accused students, the dean asked me to keep quiet or leave the college,” said the father. “Further, the accused were so daring due to the influence of their parents that when I entered the college with my victim son and wife, these students started teasing us and clicked our photographs with their mobile cameras,” added he.

On August 22, the parents got a criminal case registered against the accused students at Jaipur rural police station but there was no action against any of them.

“Since registering an FIR, we are receiving threats from various persons, who are forcing us to withdraw the complaint. Even the attitude of the police is very indifferent and the station house officer (SHO) is pressurizing us to reach a compromise with the accused, who are living in the hostel still,” Satish said.

However, Heera Lal, SHO of Kanota police station in Jaipur rural, denied Satish's allegation. “We have registered the case but the accused students could not be arrested as they are absconding.”