College authorities ignore ragging complaints

Last Updated : 25 Dec 2010 08:39:50 AM IST

KOCHI: The Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara, has landed in a ragging controversy after an NRI, the father of a firstyear student, appealed to the college authorities to protect his ward who has been subjected to alleged torture in the college hostel by senior students.
In a letter sent to college Principal P Suresh Kumar, the father who refused to reveal his identity fearing for his son's safety, said: "Four months have gone since my ward joined your institution. He was fortunate enough to get an admission in the college hostel.

With agony, surprise and a little bit of anger, let me list before you the mental and physical torture inflicted on my son by a small group of seniors. The seniors started to visit the juniors in their hostel rooms at unearthly hours in not so sober condition. They created situations for slapping the juniors and for stripping them in public. The juniors were ordered to clean the room and the undergarments of the seniors," the letter said.

The letter further further said: "It is learnt that none of the ragging preventive measures is effective neither on your campus or in the hostel.

The complaint box with the name and the telephone numbers of the principal and other respective officials are yet to be arranged. No team of officials or authorities used to take rounds on the hostel premises to check the entry of seniors in the rooms of the juniors. The tollfree antiragging number and notices warning about the consequences of criminal proceedings in case of ragging are not displayed in the college or on hostel premises."

When inquired about the letter, principal Suresh Kumar said that they had received an anonymous letter but the issues raised in the letter were baseless. "We conducted an inquiry and found that no such incidents as mentioned in the letter has happened in the hostel. We have an active antiragging cell in the college which used to ensure that senior students do not get a chance to enter the hostel rooms of the juniors. There have been repeated attempts by a section of the people to tarnish the name of the institution by levelling baseless allegations," the principal added.