Two BCom students beaten up for resisting ragging

30 Aug 2008, 0419 hrs IST, TNN

LUCKNOW: Two BCom first year students were injured when assaulted by a group of seniors in the Lucknow University on Friday. The juniors got the

'punishment' for objecting to a ragging session a couple of days back. One of the seniors was caught by teachers and handed over to the police.

Significantly, the incident took place when senior police officers were on the campus to review security for the forthcoming visit of President of India, Pratibha Patil, to take part in the special convocation scheduled on September 23.

According to other students on the spot, it was around noon when a group of youths led by a BSc student, later identified as Jai Prakash Yadav, barged into the commerce department and started beating Abhinav Singh and Adarsh Awasthi, two BCom I students, with stones and rods. However, dean commerce RS Yadav and Prof JV Vaishampayan, who were standing nearby intervened and caught Jai Prakash, while his associates managed to flee.

The proctorial board was informed about the incident, and proctor AN Singh also reached the spot and called the police. Jai Prakash was handed over to the police. Adarsh and Abhinav, who suffered limb injuries, were rushed to the hospital for first aid. "We will also lodge an FIR against Jai Prakash and expel him from the university as per the Supreme Court guidelines and state government law on ragging," the proctor later told TOI.

Students informed that Jai Prakash, though a student of science faculty, was trying to bully freshers in the commerce faculty along with his friends in the name of 'introduction' on Wednesday. However, Adarsh and Abhinav objected to the forced introduction session. Their initiative foiled the ragging bid as many other students came out in support of the duo. "On that day Jai Prakash left voicing threats but came back today to take his revenge," said a student, pleading anonymity.

Investigations done by proctor revealed that Jai Prakash was a non-serious student known for his indiscipline in the science faculty. After failing in the examinations last year, he got enrolled himself as an 'exempted candidate' in this session.