[ToI] Seniors give student cigarette burns

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5 Apr 2008, 1253 hrs IST,IANS

GHAZIABAD: A student of an engineering college here has filed a police complaint alleging that his five seniors in the name of ragging brutally beat him up and caused him cigarette burns.

Naveen Singh had taken admission at the HR Institute of Engineering Technology on Meerut Road as a B.Tech first-year student. After his admission, he escaped ragging as he had fever.

But senior students were looking for an opportunity to rag him. Five of them barged into his room at the hostel, armed with iron rods. After locking the room from inside, the seniors started beating him as a punishment for escaping them earlier. They then tattooed Naveen with burning cigarettes.

When he called up the institute chairman, he said he could not help as he was out of station. In the police complaint, Naveen Singh named his five tormentors. The police have not registered the case so far.

Upset at the police station officer, Naveen lodged a complaint with the Senior Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad.

But no action was initiated until Friday night.

[ExpressIndia] Student ‘ragged’ in Sinhagad institute hostel’ in Sinhagad institute hostel

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Pune, February 15 A master’s student in marketing management at the Sinhagad Institute of Management in Wadgaon Budruk has been rusticated for allegedly indulging in the ragging of his classmate at the boys’ hostel last week. No police complaint has been lodged in the case. The victim was allegedly made to “lick chappals and drink urine.”

The management had to take this action after a clutch of organisations, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sanghatna (ABVS) and Punekar Vidyarthi Kruti Samiti (PVKS) held protests and demanded action against the guilty.

A letter signed by the institute director Dr Rajashree Shinde states: “Mr Chandratul, student of SIM, Wadgaon of second year of MMM course, was found guilty of indiscipline in the institute hostel and misbehaved with his classmates. This was a serious matter and amounts to gross violation of disciplinary rules in the institute and hostel premises. Pending final decision, he stands rusticated from the institute and boys’ hostel for the academic year 2007-08 forthwith.”

Ram Borkar, president of Kothrud MNS, Mandar Joshi of PVKS and Dilip Singh of ABVS who demanded action against the guilty student, said, “Last week, a local guardian of a student named Mohnish (name changed) from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, brought the victim to us. The youngster told us that one of his classmates attempted to rag him. He said he was even asked to lick the chappals and drink urine. However, the student ran away from the hostel and approached us.”

Then the members of the organisations approached Prof M N Navale, founder-president of the institute, who on Monday last promised to look into the matter after his outstation commitments. Finally, these organisations demanded action against the guilty, to which the authorities had to accede.

A top office-bearer of Sinhagad Technical Education Society denied there was a case of ragging in the institute and said the matter had been blown out of proportion.

“This is the month of February. After some time, exams would be held. So why would a student indulge in ragging at this point of time? There is a minor problem amongst the two boys which could be sorted out. However, we have initiated action against the boy concerned, and he has been rusticated as of now.”

[ToI] Student complaints of ragging

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31 Dec 2007, 0350 hrs IST,TNN

NAGPUR: Yet another incident of alleged ragging surfaced at the boy’s hostel of RTM University on Friday after a first year student of Masters of Physical Education lodged a complaint at Ambazari police station of alleged harassment against two senior students of the same stream.

Victim Sachin Walke (26), reportedly approached Ambazari police station after he claimed to have been harassed by his seniors, Samad Baig and Prashant Bhandari. Police said that Walke was intimidated by the two senior students who compelled him to do some physical exercises as punishment in the night. The complainant, according to police, was being harassed for ignoring the dominance of the senior students.

"The police cannot directly register or comment on any case related to ragging incidents. We have handed over the complaint to University authorities. The decision on the report will be taken by a committee constituted to analyze it," said sub-inspector Vilas Kulkarni of Ambazari police station. "Once the report is sent back to us, we will take further steps," he added.

Meanwhile, sources also said that one of the seniors also approached the police station with a complaint about a commotion but was not encouraged. "A senior named in the complaint of the junior was trying to cover up the incident with a fabricated complaint," said PSI Kulkarni.

In an earlier incident, Ambazari police had registered a similar complaint filed by a student of political science, Gulab Bawanthade, against contributory lecturer Usman khan Habib Khan Pathan in August this year.

[TheCheers] College students in J-K protest ragging

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Jammu, Dec 7 (ANI): Students belonging to the Jammu University took out a protest rally here on Thursday against ragging.

They shouted slogans against the hostel authorities for not ensuring their safety and security.

The students were protesting against the ragging of some Muslim students by their seniors belonging to Hindu community. They alleged of being beaten up by their seniors.

"There was a group of boys who were drunk and were creating the chaos. Some of them were also outsiders. We were sitting inside our room, when suddenly some boys came and forced us to open the door of our room. Once inside, they started beating us. When we tried to defend ourselves, they took out sharp weapons with which they threatened us. One of them also threatened to shave of my beard," said Mohammed Aslam, a student.

Ragging has long been an issue of debate in educational institutions, forcing the Central Government to enforce strict anti-ragging laws in universities and colleges. (ANI)

[Telegraph] Delhi duo booked for ragging

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OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, Nov. 24: Delhi police have registered FIRs against two students of a Delhi University physiotherapy college for allegedly ragging a first-year student.

Santosh, an intern at Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, and Anshul, a first-year student, allegedly ragged another first-year student on the night of November 17.

“The boy complained that Santosh and Anshul asked him to drink alcohol and strip. They then took an MMS clip of the naked boy,” Dharmendar Kumar, the director of the institute, said.

Santosh has been suspended from the hostel, and his internship cancelled immediately after the victim complained to college authorities on November 19, Kumar said.

Anshul has also been asked to vacate the hostel.

The victim filed an FIR against Santosh and Anshul the day after the incident. Kumar said the institute also registered a complaint with the police the day the victim informed them about the incident.

On November 21, however, Santosh entered the campus and threatened the victim.

“The victim was told to withdraw his complaint, or he would be beaten up,” Kumar said. The victim complained about the threat to the authorities, who then registered another FIR against Santosh for threatening the victim.

The institute has set up its own disciplinary committee to enquire into the allegations.

[ToI] Student lodges ragging complaint

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BEHRAMPORE: A student of Murshidabad College of Engineering and Technology (MCET) has lodged a complaint of ragging at Behrampore police station against eight third-year students on Saturday.

Arif Iqbal, the second-year student, alleged that the seniors had demanded Rs 600 from him a few days ago. But he had refused. Things came to a head when they blocked his way while he was going for a class on Thursday and again demanded the amount. But Arif stood firm. This prompted the students to pounce on him and bash him up. Arif suffered facial injuries and his spectacles were broken.

MCET principal Dibyendu Ghosal, however, pleaded ignorance and wondered as to why Arif did not inform him of the matter before going to police.

"I do not know why Arif went to the police first before intimating me anything about the matter. We will set up a committee to probe into the matter. I will request the police not to start an inquiry before we start our investigation," he said. However, deputy superintendent of police (headquarters) Santo Mitra ruled out the option. "We are not bound to keep the principal’s request. If Arif has lodged a complaint, police will start an investigation," he added. "I went to the police first as I was frightened," Arif said.

[ToI] 21 students suspended for ragging juniors in Kochi

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KOCHI: Cracking the whip against ragging, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has suspended 21 senior students of the department of Ship Technology following complaints of the offence against them.

The suspended students are from the third semester and were staying at a hostel in Kochi.

CUSAT Registrar Dr A Ramachandran told reporters here that the students have been suspended, pending an inquiry. If a detailed probe finds them guilty, they would be expelled from the college, he said.

Police are also conducting investigations into the incident relating to ragging of the first semester students in September. The victim students had alleged they had been physiclly tortured and that some were forcibly made to consume liqour in a hotel.

A preliminary inquiry conducted by CUSAT officials has found that the junior students were physcially tortured by their seniors from September 4 to September 14.

Following the ragging incident, at least five students have dropped out of the course.

[SaharaSamay] Ragging at Surat Medical College

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Posted at Tuesday, 23 October 2007 17:10 IST

Surat, Oct 23: In spite of Supreme Court guidelines, ragging is going on unabated in medical and engineering colleges across India. One such incident came to light at the Government Medical College of Surat.

The first year students were beaten black and blue in the name of ragging after midnight.

The victims are in a state of shock after the incident.

Talking to the channel, one of the students said that they were subject to brutal beating by their seniors at for an hour between 2:30 am and 3:30 am.

Taking the matter seriously, the college administration has suspended 10 senior students of the college for a month, they added.

Several students have ended their lives due to cruelty of their seniors in the name of ragging in medical and engineering colleges across the country in recent months.

[NewIndPress] Ragging: Human rights panel registers case

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Wednesday October 24 2007 01:54 IST

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

T’PURAM: State Human Rights Commission member Justice V P Mohan has taken a suo motu case against the ‘negligence’ of the authorities of the Mannuthy Veterinary College in a ragging case.

A first year student in the college hostel, unable to bear the ragging of his seniors, attempted suicide by cutting the veins in his wrist.

The Commission member has sought an explanation from the Veterinary College principal and the Mannuthy Sub-inspector. The case will be taken up at a sitting scheduled for November 15.

THRISSUR: The student who attempted to commit suicide has been hospitalised. Mannuthy police said that a case has been registered against five recognisable students of the hostel. The KAU Vice-Chancellor has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

According to the KAU sources, ragging the junior students by forcing them to unnatural sexual and physical harassment by senior students has been going on in the hostel with the knowledge of officials incharge of hostels.

The sources pointed out that out of fear of ragging, over 10 students had left the hostel.

Even in the hospital, some of the officials were found trying to persuade the victim to make a statement denying any harassment in the hostel.

Meanwhile, demanding the dismissal of senior students who were responsible for ragging and action against concerned officials, the KSU staged a march to KAU headquarters at Vellanikkara on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, KSU state general secretary, A Prasad, alleged that the officials concerned and employees of the hostels were trying to hush up the matter to save the culprits.

The hospital sources said that the student was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

[Khabrein] Bhopal medical students boycott classes, fearing ragging

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Bhopal, Oct 19 (IANS) Over 140 students of the Gandhi Medical College here have stopped attending classes for fear of being ragged by their senior students.

All students have stopped going to the college since reports of beating up of three first-year students last week. "They are afraid of being tortured by ragging," said a first-year student who preferred not to be named.

The college management refuted the charge and said all students have gone home for the festivals over the past fortnight.

"It is a general practice seen every year during this season. The question of ragging in this college doesn't arise," said Jeevan Singh Meena, President of the Central India Junior Doctors Association (Central JUDA).

Gandhi Medical College dean Nirbhay Srivastava, however, regarded student absenteeism as an of indiscipline and said: "It is gross indiscipline. The parents of these students are being informed, and we may seriously think whether to allow them to appear in the exams."

Madhya Pradesh has seen a string of cases of ragging in recent times.

Eight girls were arrested for ragging at a local hotel management institute here earlier this month while a student committed suicide in Indore, alleging harassment from his seniors.

[ToI] Three held for ragging

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20 Oct 2007, 0137 hrs IST,TNN

BANGALORE: Two nursing students and a warden have been arrested for ragging 14 first-year nursing students. Police are on the look-out for four other accused, who have fled to Kerala.

The incident occurred at VVS College of Nursing at Kengeri Satellite Town on Tuesday. The arrested are V T Verghese (53), the warden, Shireen Raj (20) and Aadesh T Raj (20), both students. Jeopav, Litto Anthony, Thomas Mathew and Albin Jose are on the run. The accused students dragged the juniors out of their rooms and asked them to strip and dance.

The juniors were then slapped and hit with belts. The episode took place in front of the warden. After learning about the incident, the college principal lodged a complaint.

[Yahoo] Apeejay architecture student complains of ragging, torture

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By HT
Friday October 12, 01:37 AM

A first year student of Apeejay School of Architecture has lodged a complaint against six seniors, alleging ragging and physical torture.

Prashant Kumar Agrahari's father Dhruv Prasad told the Hindustan Times, "My son was so terrified after the incident that he told us that he would commit suicide and will not go to college. He was getting threats from senior students who had physically tortured him. I had complained to college management on October 8. But no action was taken. On Thursday afternoon, when I called them, they said the Director was out of station and that he would take action on his return."

"Someone has to come forward against the menace of ragging. I decided to fight the menace and took my son to the police station and lodged a complaint," he said. "Though four students were physically tortured by the seniors, no one had the courage to speak up against seniors. Maybe now they too would come forward and raise their voice," said Prasad.

[ToI] Student ragged, stripped in Bhopal hostel

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8 Oct 2007, 0235 hrs IST,TNN

BHOPAL: A shocking incident of ragging, coupled with an attempt at sexual assault, has been reported to the Madhya Pradesh police just two days after two first-year girl students of the Institute of Hotel Management in Bhopal were hospitalised following an alleged ragging session.

Engineering student Vishal Sharma has charged that his seniors beat him up, tonsured his head and shaved off his moustache on Friday night. They also apparently forced him to consume liquor with them, and made him dance for hours after stripping him - shockingly, they also tried to sexually assault him, according to the case filed.

Police registered a case of physical assault and hurt against the two senior who were involved in the act after the boy's father filed a complaint. One of the accused, Neeraj Kumar, was arrested on Sunday evening. Director of the institute Naeem Khan said eight senior students have been suspended.

The victim, a 19-year-old freshman of BE (Information Technology) at the Sree Institute of Science and Technology, is from Shivpuri district. He is the son of Congress leader in Gwalior-Chambal division Mahendra Sharma. Vishal, whose first semester started just 25 days ago, was staying at the reputed Utkarsh Students' Hostel in Lal Ghati area.

The hostel accommodates around 100 boys - 60 freshmen of the same engineering college, 20 seniors and 20 from other engineering colleges in Bhopal.

"From the beginning, they used to abuse and beat me up for no reason. When I told my father, he said it wouldn't last long. They would drink and force freshers to join them. But on Friday night, their torture crossed all limits," Vishal said.

Vishal said it was not just him but many other freshers too who were subjected to similar treatment. However, some students don't protest because their parents had spent a lot of money for their admission and they could not back out because of the ragging, he said.

Vishal added that two of his seniors - Kunal Chaudhary and Neeraj Kumar - had called him to their room on Saturday morning around 1 am. Traumatised Vishal now doesn’t want to go back to the same college and says he will not stay in a hostel again.

[CNN-IBN] Bhopal girls ragged, lodge complaint against seniors

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Bhopal: The ragging menace has resurfaced yet again. After Delhi’s St Stephens' College, which has been in the news for an incident of ragging, it’s now the turn of Bhopal.

Two girls, who are students at the Indian Institute of Hotel Management in Bhopal, reportedly fainted during ragging on Friday.

The girls, who have been admitted to the hospital following the incident, have lodged a complaint against their seniors alleging that they had been ragged.

A case has now been registered by the Bhopal police against eight students of the institute.

Four St Stephens' students were suspended after they allegedly sprayed a first year student with cologne and threw a matchstick on him.

[Telegraph] Burning ‘game’ at Stephen’s

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Calcutta boy set on fire during suspected ragging session

CHARU SUDAN KASTURI
St Stephen’s College

New Delhi, Oct. 3: A Calcutta boy studying at Delhi’s St Stephen’s College has complained to college authorities that he was set on fire during a ragging session.

College authorities have confirmed the episode, which occurred on the night of September 27, but said it was an “accident” and not a case of ragging.

The former student of St Xavier’s School, Calcutta, suffered burns on his hands and knees after seniors sprayed him with deodorant and threw a burning match at him.

A first-year Chemistry Honours student, the boy is now back with his family in Calcutta, the college authorities have told The Telegraph.

The victim reluctantly confirmed the incident, and the burns to his knees and hand, but said he did not wish to pursue the matter further. “Whatever punishment has been handed out to them is more than enough,” he said, speaking from Calcutta. The boy also felt that the match was not thrown with intent to harm him.

Four second-year students who attacked the boy have been penalised, the college authorities said.

“Three of them, who were drunk, have been punished more severely than the fourth,” a senior college official said. The three have been suspended for one year from the hostel, and for a month from classes.

The fourth, who the college authorities say was sober, has been suspended for one month from classes and the hostel — called the “Residence” in St Stephen’s lingo.

St Stephen’s authorities, however, did not agree that the incident is a case of ragging and said it was a “game”.

“Students often play a game... spraying deodorant on their hands, and setting a match to it. It burns at a low temperature, and so does not hurt the skin. They were indulging in the same game,” an administrator said.

The college admits, however, that the victim and his friends did not see the incident as a “game”.

According to the college authorities, a group of the victim’s friends, led by a second-year student, “attacked” the four boys who set him on fire, “dragged them” and “beat them up”.

The second-year student who led the retaliation has also been suspended for one month from classes and hostel.

Under Supreme Court guidelines, put in place by a committee headed by former CBI chief R.K. Raghavan, college authorities who receive a complaint of ragging from a student should “immediately” register a case with police.

“It is recommended that the college authorities should first file a case, and then continue their internal investigation,” Rajendra Prasad, one of the members of the Raghavan committee, said.

If the victim or his parents are not satisfied with the action — or the lack of it — that the college authorities have taken, they can file a second complaint with the college, following which the institute authorities have to go to the police, Prasad explained.

“The victim or his parents can also approach the police directly if the college ignores the second plea. Then the college is also accountable,” Prasad added.

[CNN-IBN] Seniors throw student off fourth floor in Agra hostel

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New Delhi: In what could be yet another case of campus rage in the country, a student of Anand Engineering College in Agra was allegedly thrown off the fourth floor of the hostel building after being ragged by his seniors on Tuesday night.

The boy, Abdul Inam, has been admitted to a hospital with both his legs plastered. He was unconsciousness for a while before he could relate the incident.

"I was thrown off the building and I managed to hold on to a wall. I was ragged on September 14, 15 and 17 after which I ran home, " said Inam.

Inam's parents have also alleged that his seniors had tried to strangle him.

"My son told me that there were four boys who first beat him up then threw him from the balcony. He told us earlier also that there were some guys who used to ask him for money," Inam's father said.

Police has started investigation but a case hasn't been filed as yet.

"We got information that some college boys threw Abdul from the second or third floor of the building. We are trying to trace them," said SHO of Thana Sikandra, Agra, Rajesh Kumar.

"We spoke to the family of the victim, they have accused some boys of the college. We are trying to speak to the college authorities. The boy is still unconscious, the truth should come out once he regains consciousness. Investigations are on," he added.

Despite a Supreme Court ruling against ragging in educational institutes, numerous cases of ragging have been reported from educational institutions across the country.

Ragging: A menace

In Lucknow, a 22-year-old student of a private management institute, Sanjay Pal Singh, is being treated for psychosis after being repeatedly tortured by his seniors in the name of harmless ragging.

Harassed, stripped and beaten by other students of the private hostel he was staying in, Sanjay finally had a breakdown last month.

In Ahmedabad, two postgraduate medical students at the V S Hospital were suspended in August this year after they were accused of ragging a junior. Tarek Patel and Prakash Sharda, allegedly beat up their junior, Dr Mittal Dave.

This is not the first incident of ragging reported from V S Hospital. Several students have reportedly dropped out after being ragged by their seniors.

School or college, obscure institute or prestigious IITs and IIMs, ragging has become a menace.

In 2003, over a hundred new students or ‘freshers’ were stripped naked and paraded in the corridors of IIT Delhi’s Kumaon Hostel.

P M Bhandari, the director of Samrat Ashok Technological Institute (SATI) in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, says ragging creates a revenge mentality among victims. “Once a student is harassed he tries to get revenge in later years,” says Bhandari.

Hostel space is considered to be a completely private domain. The biggest mistake a fresher can make is to complain to authorities, like the warden or the principal, who are considered outsiders.

Ragging cases are increasing because of this don’t-snitch mentality. Andhra Pradesh has reported the highest number of ragging cases (23) in the last years out: 21 cases were made public a landmark Supreme Court ruling on ragging in 2001.

In UP, 21 out of 22 cases have come in the last six years. In West Bengal 19 ragging cases have been reported after the 2001 ruling.

The common excuse for ragging is that it helps break the ice between students but that argument is now considered indefensible and the Supreme Court has forbade the practice.

Some campuses now ‘break the ice’ between students through induction programmes and counselling. IIT Kanpur has a proactive induction programme that makes new students feel at home, not humiliated.

[NewIndPress] Mar Ivanios expels 7 students

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Tuesday September 25 2007 04:56 IST

Express News Service

T'PURAM: Seven students, including four boys and three girls, have been expelled from the Mar Ivanios College in the city after they were found guilty of ragging a first-year degree girl student.

Dixon A, Sunil S, Visakh V K, Pramod Augustine, Nissy R, Rakhi Mohan and Shabna S, all final-year degree students, were expelled from the college.

A commission of inquiry, appointed by the college to probe into the incident that took place on August 8, had found all the seven students guilty of ragging that even continued outside the college campus. On the basis of the inquiry report, the College Council recommended expulsion of the seven students, a statement from the College Principal said here on Monday.

The Peroorkada Police, which had registered a case in this connection, have almost completed the probe. Charges, including rioting and ragging, would be framed against the accused, police sources said. The victim of the incident was a first-year BA Literature student of the college who hails from Panavila. She was ragged by the gang of seven students. As the level of ragging went beyond tolerable limits, the girl refused to concede to the commands of the gang.

Later, while she was riding home on her two-wheeler, four boys of the ‘ragging gang’ chased her in motor bikes and irritated her. As the degree of teasing escalated, the girl lost control of her vehicle and fell on the road near Paruthippara.

Local people who witnessed the incident gathered on the spot and intercepted the boys. They were later handed over to the Peroorkada Police. The three girls later surrendered before the police. All the seven were immediately suspended from the college.

The commission found that the accused had caused mental and physical agony to the girl student by their rash behaviour. The incident had also brought infamy to the college, the commission observed.

[Hindu] A management and a law student thrashed in ragging in UP, MP

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Lucknow-Bhopal, Sept. 17 (PTI): A management student has landed in a hospital's psychiatry ward after being beaten and humiliated while a law student was physically assaulted in two separate incidents of brutal ragging by seniors in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Sanjay Singh, a student of Sahara Arts and Management Academy in Lucknow, was allegedly ragged by students from Lucknow University and some other nearby institutions who lived in the same hostel in the outskirts of the city, police said.

Vivek Rai, LLB (Hons) first year student staying in the hostel of Dr Hari Singh Gaur Vishwavidyalaya in Sagar in Madhya Pradesh , has complained to Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shahid Absar, that senior hostel-mates had ragged him by physically assaulting him.

Both the incidents occurred on September 15 and police have registered cases.

Singh has lost his mental balance following the assault, police sources said but hostel authorities claimed that the victim who lived in a private hostel in Madiaon in Lucknow district was suffering from mental disorder.

He was suffering from acute psychosis and was undergoing treatment in the psychiatry ward of the medical college here, hostel authorities added.

Singh was allegedly beaten and humiliated while on his way to his college in a bus on September 15 last, following which he ran away from the hostel, police said.

An FIR was lodged by the victim's local guardian in which three inmates of the hostel were named, sources said, adding that investigation in the matter matter was on.

In Sagar, Vivek Rai has named four students - Akhilesh Verma, Pradeep Tiwari, Manish Tiwari and Sudeep Samdalia - and alleged they entered his room late that night and demanded money for consuming liquor.

When Rai refused, he was taken to another room and asked to follow their orders, the complaint said, adding when he declined again, he was beaten up by them.

The victim has also alleged some seniors kept arms and ammunition in the hostel to terrorise the juniors.

Meanwhile, the university administration has said that strict action will be taken against the accused students if the ragging charge was proved in the police inquiry.

[Hindu] Shocking incident of ragging in city

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HYDERABAD: A shocking incident of a physically-challenged first year girl student of a premier learning institute for disabled being assaulted and also “punished” by her senior in the name of ragging came to light on Sunday. The victim, Kanika Pathak, a student of B.Sc (Audiology, Speech Language Pathology - ASLP), of the southern regional centre of the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Hearing Handicapped (NIHH), Secunderabad, was slapped and pinched by her immediate senior, K. Priyadarshini, a few days ago.

Girl threatened

Ms. Pathak was also forced to stand on the chair in the clinical classroom by another senior. She and her fellow classmates were threatened of dire consequences if they reported the matter to the higher authorities. But their threat was misplaced because the authorities do not appear to have taken the matter seriously. In fact, the juniors were told to withdraw their complaint. This, even after a three-member teachers committee which probed the incident confirmed that ragging was unabated in the hostel and clinics for the last two months. In her complaint, Ms. Pathak said that she was “physically tortured” (sic) by Priyadarshini on September 7 evening. “I request you to take serious action on the issue as the limits have crossed,” she appealed.

Eleven of her classmates signed as witnesses in the letter addressed to the Institute’s Assistant Director.

The teachers’ panel of Jyothi (Students Welfare Officer), Sudheer Bhan (Tutor) and K. Dayalan (Hostel Warden) in their report were unambiguous that “senior students ask first year students to slap each other in the hostel, stand for hours and abuse them if their demands are not met” like ironing their clothes, making notes, etc.

However, Institute’s Assistant Director S.G.R. Prakash claimed this was a “small issue” between the seniors and juniors and it was “not ragging.”

[ToI] Boy loses 'sanity' after ragging

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16 Sep 2007, 0231 hrs IST,TNN

LUCKNOW: An MCA student slipped into the state of acute psychosis on Saturday after being brutally tortured by a group of Lucknow University students.

He has been admitted to the psychiatry department of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, where his condition was stated as "serious but stable" by doctors.

Son of Bareilly resident Ajay Pal Singh, Sanjay Pal had recently taken admission in a private college affiliated to UP Technical University. Since the college had no hostel facility, the student was living in a nearby private hostel.