Bhopal College Principal denies ragging incident

BHOPAL: The principal of Institute of Hotel Management in Bhopal, S Rajamohan, said he had suspended eight third-year students for a fortnight for the ragging incident. Five of them have been rusticated from the girls' hostel. However, he maintained it wasn't ragging but an argument that turned nasty.

SP Anant K Singh told TOI, "We are still conducting investigations. You can expect arrests soon. The case registered is under bailable sections but they will be arrested."

The police have registered a case under sections 294 (obscenity), 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of IPC on Thursday.

When TOI visited the hospital, the victims - Vinima Gautam (19) from Delhi and Puja Punia (18) from Agra - refused to speak on the issue.

Police said 17 freshers were "ordered" by their seniors to gather in room No. 27 of the hostel around 9.30pm on Wednesday. The seniors began asking them "embarrassing" questions.

When the freshers didn't reply, they were abused. The seniors allegedly threatened to beat them up and said they would "fail" them in examinations if they didn't obey. All 17 first-year students were made to stand in a line for the next two hours. Around midnight, two of the freshers collapsed.

Vinima's father, V L Gautam, who arrived in Bhopal on Thursday, told reporters that the college management was wrong in saying that his daughter wasn't a victim of ragging.

link to report : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bhopal_college_principal_denies_ragging_incident/articleshow/2433635.cms