7 CMC medicos suspended for ragging junior

Last Updated : 21 Dec 2010 09:58:33 AM IST

KOCHI: Acting tough on ragging, the authorities of Cooperative Medical College (CMC) here on Monday suspended seven students who were allegedly involved in the crime.
The college authorities said that, on Saturday, the senior students physically, sexually and mentally assaulted Joel Antony, a second-year MBBS student under the pretext of ragging.

Anantharaman, Anoop, Thomas, Roshith, Shinas and Anees and Jias are the students who have been suspended, the college authorities said. After the victim lodged a complaint in this regard with the college authorities on Sunday, an inquiry was conducted into the incident.

"It was after the seven students were found guilty by the hostel warden, who conducted an inquiry into the incident, that we decided to suspend them for one month and expel them from the hostel.

As serious charges, including physical, sexual and mental assault, are being levelled against the senior students, we have handed over the complaint to the police," Dr Gireesh, Principal, CMC, said.

Following a row over some issue at the college canteen on Saturday, thirdyear MBBS student Jias pushed Joel into the former's room around 7 p.m. and locked the door from inside, the complaint says.

Then, Jias, along with six of his batchmates, switched off the lights in the room and started assaulting the victim. Joel complained that the students brutally attacked him for almost an hour.

According to the complaint, the senior students showered abuses on Joel maligning his parents. The sexual assault was severe, he said in his compliant.
The college authorities have forwarded the complaint to the Cooperation Minister, the authorities of the Cooperative Academy for Professional Education (CAPE), and the police.

Though, many of the students were involved in such crimes earlier, the authorities had not taken strict action against them.Some of the persons involved in the present case had been under suspension for similar cases earlier, sources said.

The senior students under the pretext of ragging would attack the juniors. Earlier, the first-year students were also attacked in a similar manner by the seniors.
The police have registered a case in this regard.