Ragging axe on 5 more students

Dibrugarh, Aug. 7: The Dibrugarh University administration has suspended five boarders on charges of ragging, inviting protests from the students’ union.

Today, Madhab Kachari and Manas Pratim Gogoi of A block of Padma Nath Gohain Baruah Chatra Nivas, the university’s “biggest boys’ hostel”, along with Manas Rajkonwar, Jitul Bora and Moon Deka of the hostel’s C block, were asked to temporarily vacate their rooms.

Yesterday, four political science students of the university were suspended on charges of ragging .

Today, vice-chancellor K.K. Deka said the five third-semester boarders of different departments had been asked to vacate their rooms with immediate effect.

An order to this effect (No. DU/SWS/HA/252/09/329) was signed by deputy registrar (administration) Rupam Saikia and issued this afternoon.

The committee probing allegations of ragging against the four students, will also inquire into today’s incident. Till the committee submitted its report, the five boarders had been debarred from entering the hostel, Deka said, adding that strict action would be taken against them if found guilty.

“This is very disturbing; the students of the university are considered to be among the best. It is really unfortunate that cases of ragging have taken place on our campus.”

“We have also asked the guardians to sensitise their wards on ragging. It seems that some students had taken our warnings very lightly. Therefore, they will now face the music for their deeds,” Deka said.

“We are also looking into the technicalities of the case; we cannot make any comment now. We will, however, soon go to the media with our version,” the prefect of the hostel’s A block, Gunabhiram Dutta, said after a meeting with students.

Sources in the hostel, however, alleged that some new entrants had been physically abused by some of their seniors who were allegedly in an inebriated state.

The general secretary of the Dibrugarh University Post- Graduate Students’ Union, M. Deori, however, said the ragging issue had been blown out of proportion.

“There is no harm in asking names and a few other questions of general knowledge to juniors to get introduced to them,” Deori said.

“The seniors should not, however, overstep the limit. If any incidents of ragging has taken place, that is really unfortunate.”

Yesterday, three first-semester girl students from the university’s political science department submitted a written complaint to Deka alleging that four third-semester students had “mentally tortured” them by asking them obscene questions.