Reality bites ragging boast

Patna, Sept. 15: The Patna College authorities had to eat crow today, as a first-year student was ragged on the college campus when they were trying to advertise the institution as a “no ragging, no eve-teasing” hub.

The ragging occurred when the college principal, Lal Keshwar Prasad Singh, was addressing a news meet at the seminar hall of the college disapproving the media reports on a few recent incidents of ragging and eve-teasing at the institution this session. The first-year boy, Nitish Kumar, was ragged in a classroom adjacent to the seminar hall.

A first-year geography (honours) student, Nitish was allegedly ragged by his seven seniors. Recalling the incident, Nitish said: “I was waiting for my history subsidiary class when three boys asked me to come out of the classroom.”

The trio allegedly dragged Nitish downstairs kicking him. A visibly shocked Nitish said: “I was dragged in front of the administrative block by my seniors. Four others joined them. They also started assaulting me.”

The seniors allegedly asked Nitish to do sit-ups and tried to open his trousers.

A few NCC cadets saw the ordeal of Nitish and ran towards him to free him from the clutches of his tormenters. Spotting the NCC cadets, the seniors fled leaving Nitish alone.

But that was not the end of Nitish’s suffering. After seniors bashed him up, his principal gave him a mouthful when he went to complain about his tormenters.

When Nitish reached the seminar hall with his fellow students, the principal of the Patna College was shocked to hear about the incident of ragging in front of the reporters. Singh first refused to listen to the boy.

He said: “Some students, mainly the boarders of Minto, Jackson and Iqbal hostels, are trying to malign the image of the college as the administration was dealing with the students involved in group clashes and eve-teas- ing strictly.”

Singh kept on saying that some students had planned the entire incident at a time when the college administration was holding a news meet.

In the meantime, the newly appointed proctor of Patna University Kriteshwar Prasad reached the college campus learning about the incident of ragging. Prasad assured the students of strict against those involved in ragging Nitish.

After the proctor stepped in, the college principal also changed his tune. He started assuring students of taking strict action against the accused.

The proctor asked Nitish to submit a written complaint against the students involved in the incident.

Prasad told The Telegraph: “I have asked the victim to give a written complain to the principal. At the same time, I have asked the principal to initiate a probe into the incident by the anti-ragging cell of the college.”