Ragging victim’s father seeks compensation

Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered notice of motion on a writ petition by a person who has sought a direction to an engineering college at Karaikal to forward a complaint of ragging of his son to the police and pay him a compensation of Rs.5 lakh for mental agony suffered. He also sought a direction for refunding the money paid by him to the institution for his son’s education.
Justice R.S.Ramanathan said the notice was returnable by June 11. In his petition, Abdul Kareem of Perumbavoor in Ernakulam stated that he had enrolled his son Mahin Sha for B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at the Bharathiyar College of Engineering and Technology. Initially, he was asked to send a demand draft for Rs.25,000 in the institution’s name. He was asked to pay Rs.2.65 lakh in August last year. Of this, Rs.1.75 lakh was a donation, and the balance, annual fees. Receipt was issued only for the annual fees. The petitioner said his son stayed in a hostel on the college campus. In the guise of ragging, he was tortured by some seniors, who also extracted money. A week after reopening of the college, a second year student asked his son to withdraw Rs.250 for buying liquor. Some other students joined him.

When Mahin Sha withdrew money from an ATM in December last year to pay uniform fees and was on his way to the college counter for making the payment, he was kidnapped by two students, who tortured him at the place where they were staying . When he fell unconscious, the tormentors escaped with the money. Later, fearing for his life, he took a train and reached home. Despite treatment, Mahin Sha was yet to come back to normality. Mr. Kareem said his complaint to the college and request to return the money were in vain. Neither did the institution take action against the culprits nor did it forward the complaint to the police. Mr. Kareem sought a direction to the college to issue transfer and conduct certificates immediately along with original documents submitted by him at the time of admission.