18 Students Suspended for Ragging at HP Varsity

Terming as "ragging" a violent clash that left at least 12 students of a particular community injured, the Baru Sahib Eternal University in Sirmaur has suspended 18 hostellers in this connection.

Some employees of the university had allegedly attacked a section of students belonging to a particular community on the intervening night of Oct 14-15, injuring over 12 of them, the students had alleged.

The incident evoked sharp reaction with the Congress and CPI(M) demanding derecognition of the varsity.

The management last evening suspended 18 students who also had been asked to vacate the hostels, an official said today.

A showcause notice has been served on them, seeking an explanation by October 26 about their conduct, the official said.

Police said none of the victims, however, mentioned about ragging in their statements.

The students alleged that it was a ploy to divert the attention from violence perpetrated by the management.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Ishwar Dass Dhiman dubbed as "politically motivated" the statement of HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur blaming the government for violence.

He said immediately after the incident, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal directed the Deputy Commissioner to inquire into the matter.

The Himachal Pradesh government today served a show-cause notice on the university in connection with the incident.

"We have issued a showcause notice to the Vice Chancellor of the varsity and action, as deemed fit, will be taken as per statutory provisions of Eternal university (establishment and regulation) Act, 2008" Director, Higher Education, O P Sharma said.