Concern over High School Hazing

Concern over High School Hazing

Drink-fuelled initiation ceremonies, so-called hazing, for new arrivals to Stockholm’s high-schools have increased rapidly in recent years, Swedish media report.

Police in the capital are now warning that the intensification of the practice risks ending in student deaths.

The Swedish daily ”Metro” reports that the last three weeks have seen between 70 and 80 youths being admitted to hospital after taking part in hazing rituals.


link to report : http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1588495

Students may get public caning

Students may get public caning

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia announced on Monday it is considering re-introducing the previously banned act of public caning in schools as a deterrent to undisciplined students, an official news report said.

Currently, school principals are allowed to cane trouble-making students but only in a private room with another teacher present as a witness, Deputy Education Minister Noh Omar said.

"We need to discuss the matter and take into consideration that public caning was introduced in 1959," Noh was quoted by the Bernama news agency as saying in parliament on Monday.

The government banned public caning in 2004 but allowed school headmasters to cane students in their rooms with a witness.

link to report : http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20070903121907914C857004

Four suspended for ragging

Four suspended for ragging

VIJAYAWADA: Four students of NTR College of Veterinary Science at Gannvaram, who were arrested on charges of ragging, have been suspended from college for one month, according to college associate dean and in-charge principal Dr K Prabhakar.

link to report : http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEA20070906230021&Page=A&Headline=Four+suspended+for+ragging&Title=Southern+News+-+Andhra+Pradesh&Topic=0

Kochi: Trial in ragging case stayed for 3 weeks

Kochi: Trial in ragging case stayed for 3 weeks

Kochi, Sept. 14 (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed for three weeks the trial of the SME Nursing college ragging case, which was to commence on September 15.

The order in this regard was issued by Justice V Ramkumar while considering a writ petition filed by state government against the discharge order of sessions court, Kottayam in favour of the SME College principal, Mariyamma and Director P Muralidharan Nair, eight and seventh accused respectively in the case.

The case relates to the alleged molestation of a girl student in the name of ragging by seniors.

The sessions court had found that offence under prohibition of ragging act cannot be charged against the two accused and had discharged them. Challenging this, the government filed a revision petition.

link to report : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200709140320.htm

Student injured during ragging

Student injured during ragging

Bankura (WB), Sept. 11 (PTI): A student of an engineering college in this district of West Bengal was seriously injured when he was allegedly pushed from his hostel's second floor during ragging, a senior police official said today.

Sudipto Mondal, a first year student of Bankura Mallabhum Institute of Technology at Bishnupur was pushed by his seniors on Sunday during ragging and fell to the ground, Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Kumar Sinha told PTI here.

A resident of Arambagh in Hooghly district, Mondal has been admitted to a private nursing home and his condition was stated to be serious, police sources said.

Mondal's father has lodged an FIR against six senior students of the institute who are absconding, the SP added.

link to report : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709112070.htm

Probe into ragging at Govt college

Probe into ragging at Govt college

Kumbakonam, Sept. 12 (PTI): A probe has been initated after some students of the Government Arts and Crafts here lodged a complaint about ragging, police said.

The complaint was given to Kumbakonam DSP by on Nalini and some other students of the college, they said.

Police officials visited the college yesterday to inquire into the alleged incident.

Meanwhile, the principal of the college M Balasubramanian said they were keeping a strict vigil to prevent ragging in the college.

He, however, said that the students have directly gone to the police without informing them about the ragging, arousing suspicion.

link to report : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200709121421.htm

Twelve students injured in clash over ragging

Twelve students injured in clash over ragging

Ghaziabad (UP), Sep 8: As many as 12 students of an engineering college in Modinagar were injured in a clash between the two groups over a ragging incident, the police said today.Police used batons to disperse the clashing senior and junior students of K.M. Modi engineering college last evening.The junior students alleged that they were forced to strip by some final year students, but the management did not take any action.However, the police said no complaint was lodged in this regard. The students alleged that police did not enter their complaint under pressure from the college management.


link to report : http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=84129

15 MBBS students expelled for ragging

15 MBBS students expelled for ragging

Kanpur: Fifteen second year MBBS students have been expelled from a medical college hostel here after a disciplinary committee indicted them in an incident of ragging in August.

The administration has expelled them on the charge of “misbehaving with first year students on the pretext of getting to know them,” Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College principal Professor S K Katiyar said on Wednesday.

He said the incident was brought to his notice in August and handed over to the disciplinary committee of the college which found them guilty of misbehaviour.

All the expelled students were residing in Hostel No 5, he said adding that the college had already suspended four students on charge of ragging in August.

link to report : http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091354160800.htm

Five NRI students 'ragged' at SPA

Five NRI students 'ragged' at SPA

NEW DELHI: Even as the Supreme Court-appointed Raghavan committee has made ragging in higher education institutions a cognisable offence, its ghost seems to be haunting the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) with a guardian lodging two complaints of freshers being coerced into doing activities against their will by the seniors. Krishna K Jha, local guardian of two NRI students from Bangladesh, claims to have complained to director KT Ravindaran and hostel warden Rajprakash that some first-year students, including his wards and three other NRIs from UAE, Canada and South Africa have been ragged regularly since the start of the session in the hostels on both the ITO and Maharani Bagh campuses. However, the director has refused to acknowledge any kind of written complaint though Rajprakash admitted that Jha had made allegations of ragging. "I had received an anonymous call complaining about this but not received any written complaint," Ravindaran said. When asked to elaborate on his comment, he retorted: "I don't want to talk to you." But Rajaprakash said: "I received a complaint from Jha but we cannot take it seriously unless students themselves come forward. Even the freshers have refused any kind of coercion." In his complaint, Jha alleged that some senior girls "call junior boys and girls to their rooms and rag them all night". Since the classes started on August 1, first-year residents in all three hostels — one for girls at ITO and one each for boys and girls at Maharani Bagh — have been allegedly subjected to ragging in different forms, Jha claims. "In the first two weeks, freshers at ITO hostel were called for introduction in a room at night and were asked to learn the names of their seniors. They were not allowed to leave the room the entire night. seniors warned them of dire consequences if they talked about it," Jha said. The complaints, copies of which are with TOI, further read that some first-year female residents from the ITO hostel were forced to go to Maharani Bagh boy’s hostel and were asked to "smoke, drink and do other activities against their will, and were forced to sign on a white paper that they went to the hostel willingly". It reads on: "One day, students from Maharani Bagh hostel came in front of the women’s hostel and used abusive language..." Talking to Times City, Jha said: "I had informed the hostel warden about these incidents on phone in August but no action was taken. Later, on September 4, I faxed a written complaint to the warden and the director informing them about the incident." Jha lodged a fresh complaint on September 5 after a few more cases of harassment on September 3 and September 4 — details of which were given to TOI — surfaced against the seniors. Jha’s second complaint read: "Students are afraid and shy to tell you about the situation...hope that you will take immediate action to stop ragging." And when TOI approached first-year students at the ITO hostel, many of them refused to speak. One of them, on the condition of anonymity, said: "We were asked to introduce ourselves and were asked to learn the names of the seniors." Another added: "We have to be friends with seniors as they would help us later."

link to report :http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Five_NRI_students_ragged_at_SPA/articleshow/2353944.cms

COLLEGE MANAGEMENT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RAGGING, SAYS PUNJAB MEDICAL EDUCATION MINISTER

COLLEGE MANAGEMENT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RAGGING, SAYS PUNJAB MEDICAL EDUCATION MINISTER

CHANDIGARH: Tikshan Sud Medical Education and Research Minister Sunday issued direction to all Principals and staff of all Government and Private Medical and dental colleges to effectively ensure ban on ragging of new students in their respective institutes. In a communiqué the Minister said that any laxity shown by management, administration, Principal, faculty or staff in implementing the guidelines would be treated very seriously and would invite stern disciplinary action. He reiterated that management, principal and staff to take effective steps to ensure that no new student becomes victim of this wrong practice of ragging. Calling upon the principals to remain constantly vigilant against this practice and monitor the situation on day to day basis, he said that principal and staff must watch the attitude of new comers and any sign of depression noticed in new student should be probed deeply. Making an impassioned appeal to the senior students to welcome the new students with love instead of ragging them, he said that junior students expect senior students to depict leadership qualities in such situations. Issuing the stern warning to take criminal action against any student indulging in ragging, the Minister also appealed to new students to oppose heinous practice of ragging and immediately report the incident to the Principal and to the higher authorities.

Link to report : http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/5598/38/

Law student from Raiganj ragged in Bolpur

Radhamadhab SahaRAIGANJ, Sept 5: Despite the government's tall claims, students of educational institutions in the state, it seems, are still not free from physical torture in the name of formal ragging by their seniors.

In one such incident, Sagnik Chakraborty, a first year student of Bolpur Law College in Birbhum and resident of Raiganj, was allegedly subjected to physical assault in the name of ragging by Bijoy Kumar Dey, a third year student of Bengal Institute of Technology, and his associates at a rented house in Bolpur. An injured Sagnik, who returned home today, had to undergo treatment at the Raiganj district hospital. His father, Mr Chandan Chakraborty, a teacher by profession, today lodged a complaint against Bijoy and his friends with the Raiganj police station.

Alleging that his son was subjected to physical assault, Mr Chakraborty demanded strong action against the accused students.

Sagnik, who passed HS examination from Kaliyaganj Parbati Sundari Higher Secondary School this year, took admission in Bolpur Law College. Talking to reporters here today, he said: "At Bolpur, I was living in a rented room at Udayanpally, around 10 km away from my college. Bijoy was also staying in the same house, though in another room. I used to take meal in another house with Bijoy and his associates. They were physically assaulting me in the name of ragging. Last Thursday, they tied up my eyes with handkerchief, placed me on the railing of the three-storyed building and instructed me to walk through the railing. After advancing two steps, I started losing balance and jumped on the right side building. I fell on the roof of another three-storyed building. Thanks God, I did not receive any major injury. However, Bijoy and his friends caught me again and touched my body parts with burning cigarette. As a result, I received burn injuries. I later informed the matter to my father who reached Bolpur the next day and brought me here."

Sagnik's father Mr Chandan Chakraborty said they will bring the matter to the notice of the Union I&B and parliamentary affairs minister, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, urging him to take action against the accused students.

Speaking to The Statesman over telephone, Dr Subir Roy, the teacher in-charge of Bolpur Law College, said: "The incident was unfortunate. Those who ragged Sagnik are not the students of our college. If we receive any written complaint from the victim, we will contact the BITM authorities over the issue and urge them to take action against the accused students."

The North Dinajpur SP, Mr SB Purnapatra, said they have informed the matter to Birbhum police officials.

Link to Report

Students may get public caning

September 03 2007 at 01:22PM

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia announced on Monday it is considering re-introducing the previously banned act of public caning in schools as a deterrent to undisciplined students, an official news report said.
Currently, school principals are allowed to cane trouble-making students but only in a private room with another teacher present as a witness, Deputy Education Minister Noh Omar said.

"We need to discuss the matter and take into consideration that public caning was introduced in 1959," Noh was quoted by the Bernama news agency as saying in parliament on Monday.

The government banned public caning in 2004 but allowed school headmasters to cane students in their rooms with a witness.

Noh was responding to calls by teachers and parents for the government to enforce stricter rules to control undisciplined students, especially those found to have a history of violence and bullying.

One local lawmaker recently suggested that public caning would be effective in stopping students from creating serious disciplinary problems as their image would be tarnished in front of other students.

Noh said the government would consider all other options before deciding on whether to reverse the ban on public caning.

"All principals of fully residential schools will be given courses to remind them of the dangers of ragging or 'orientation,'" he said.

"We will also invite the police to give talks to the senior students on the matter before the new school term begins."


Recently, several cases of bullying by older students have been highlighted in the local media with many of the young victims suffering from serious injuries and sometimes even death. - Sapa-DPA

Link to report

Strictly implement anti-ragging laws says Minister

Strictly implement anti-ragging laws says Minister
Instructions to all Vice-Chancellors


The higher education minister said yesterday the government has instructed Vice- Chancellors of all universities to strictly implement the anti-ragging laws with immediate effect.

Rejecting allegations that the government is going to annul the Anti-ragging Act, Higher Education Minister Prof. Vishwa Warnapala said “I have instructed university authorities to strictly implement the exciting law.”

He said that the law is not implemented and the academic staff should take necessary steps to implement the law in full. “The academic staff has to play a key role in preventing ragging,” the minister said.

He also said that earlier, the ragging season only lasted for a week or two, but currently it lasts at least a year. “We have to change this culture, we need intellectuals from universities,” he added.

With reference to posters and other protest campaigns urging the government to annul the Act, the minister said that the government would not take action to annul the act. “It was put forward by the then Education Minister Richard Pathirana in 1997, and it was approved by Parliament unanimously, so it is an agreement reached by all political parties, we don’t want to annul it,” the minister said.

He said that some interested sections among students are trying to make an issue over this as these sections backed by some political parties are trying to sabotage the students’ education.
He also said that the government is also to consider widening the higher education system of the country and said that there are no plans to privatize the university system.
“We are going to introduce ‘distance mode’ education, in which anyone can obtain a degree through distance learning, which is a world recognized system,” the minister said.

Prof. Warnapala said under the new programme, the government is going to widen the post-graduate system as well.

link to report : http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/09/01/front/08.asp

Chennai students pledge to curb ragging

Chennai students pledge to curb ragging

Chennai: A college in Chennai has set up an anti ragging committee to help freshers and prevent ragging. Says a third year engineering student, Gayathri, "My seniors made me do things like salute a stump which embarrassed me a lot. So, I don't want the same to happen to our juniors."Personal experience prompted Gayathri, a third year engineering student, to join the Anti-Ragging Committee in their college. Gayathri and her friends have now taken an oath not to rag their juniors and interact with them in a friendly manner. Says the Vice-Principal of KCG College, Udupa, "The committee will check the interaction between students and see that it is within limits. We will also spread awareness among them."

Link to report : http://www.ibnlive.com/news/chennai-students-pledge-to-curb-ragging/47734-3.html

GMCH suicide case: Police interrogate senior students

GMCH suicide case: Police interrogate senior students

Chandigarh, August 29: A team of police officers today arrived at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32 from Amritsar to investigate the alleged suicide of a student Manjot Singh. The officers recorded statements of 19 senior students who had been expelled from the hostel. They also questioned classmates of Manjot. Manjot committed suicide four days after joining college on August 1. Surprisingly, Medical Superintendent Dr Harsh Mohan said that he was unaware of the visiting officials. This despite the fact that the officials arrived around noon today and had lunch at the hospital. Director Principal Dr HM Swami - in whose office the police team interrogated the students - refused to meet the media or comment on the investigations. It’s too early to say anything now. We will first talk to the students and analyse their statements,” said Sub Inspector Joginder Singh. While the names of the 19 senior students was provided by the college, the team asked to talk to seven first year students whose names had been provided to them by Manjot’s family. “Manjot had given his father a few names. He said that on the first day the seniors kept him till 11 pm and on the second day the ragging went on till 2 am in the night. Initially we remained silent because we didn’t know what to do,” his uncle Sarabjeet said. He also said that a few seniors had talked to him. “They were cooperative in the beginning. But now they are under pressure from the college and don’t take my calls,” said Sarabjeet. “Recording their statements in the presence of the college authorities is also of no use as they will not be allowed to speak the truth,” he said.

Link to report : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=253616

Teen faces prison for Glastonbury hazing

Teen faces prison for Glastonbury hazing

Glastonbury (WTNH) _ A Bronx teenager will serve nine months in prison for his role in student hazings at a Glastonbury school.

Silvester Baez, 17, pleaded no contest to a second-degree assault charge.

Baez was an upperclassman at "A Better Chance", which is a residential program for gifted minority students, when the alleged hazings occurred.

Prosecutors say three freshmen at the school were slapped, kicked, beaten as part of a hazing ritual.

link to report : http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=6977384&nav=3YeX

Civil suit filed in FAMU hazing case

Civil suit filed in FAMU hazing case

Marcus Jones, once a pledge of the undergraduate chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity at Florida A&M University, has filed a civil lawsuit against the five fraternity members he accused of causing him bodily harm.

Michael Morton, Jason Harris, Brian Bowman, Marcus Hughes and Cory Gray were all named in Jones' lawsuit, along with the Alpha Xi chapter and the regional and national offices of the fraternity. The lawsuit also lists the fictitious name John Doe to represent the owner of the warehouse where Jones was severely beaten, causing hemorrhaging and requiring surgery.

"When we get specific information, we can change those John Does to names," said attorney Roosevelt Randolph of Knowles & Randolph, P.A.

Dawn Whitehurst, lead counsel for Jones' civil lawsuit, said individuals like the owner of the warehouse "knew or should have known this type of activity" occurred at the warehouse. An amended copy of the suit was filed Wednesday.

According to the lawsuit, "For the good and safety of individuals on the property, John Doe(s) has assumed the duty of preventing serious bodily injury from occurring on the property."

Whitehurst said Florida A&M University will not be a defendant in the lawsuit.

"FAMU has responded appropriately and swiftly once the incident was brought to their attention," Whitehurst said. The chapter has been suspended from the campus for an extended period.

The personal injury lawsuit cites damages in excess of $15,000, not including interest and attorney's fees.

"From the very beginning, it was really difficult for Marcus (Jones) to come forward," Whitehurst said. "He's not the type that likes the spotlight."

Instead, Whitehurst said, Jones does not want what happened to him to happen to any other young person trying to join a fraternity. Jones' lawsuit claims that the local, regional and national branches of the fraternity failed to monitor activities of their members to ensure anti-hazing.

Morton and Harris have been found guilty in the criminal lawsuit of felony hazing and sentenced to two years in prison. They have appealed.

Bowman, Hughes and Gray pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor hazing in the criminal case. They will not have a criminal record.

link to report : http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070823/NEWS01/708230354/1010

2 Plead Not Guilty to University Hazing

2 Plead Not Guilty to University Hazing

By CHRIS NEWMARKER
The Associated Press
Thursday, August 16, 2007; 12:49 PM

TRENTON, N.J. -- A Rider University administrator and a student pleaded not guilty Thursday to aggravated hazing in the binge-drinking death of a fraternity pledge.

Ada Badgley, 31, Rider's director of Greek life, and Dominic Olsen, 21, pledge master for Phi Kappa Tau, did not speak during their hearings. The dean of students and two other fraternity members pleaded not guilty earlier to the same charge.

The pledge, freshman Gary DeVercelly Jr., 18, of Long Beach, Calif., had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent when he was pronounced dead March 30, one day after a special party at the on-campus fraternity house, authorities said.

At the party, pledges drank large quantities of hard liquor with fraternity brothers, some of the pledges consuming entire bottles in less than an hour, prosecutors said.

The Phi Kappa Tau chapter at Rider has since been closed, and Badgley and Anthony Campbell, the dean of students, are on temporary paid leave.

Badgley's lawyer, Mariana Rossman, said after the hearing that Badgley would be exonerated.

Olsen's lawyer, Michael Murphy, said his client wasn't present when DeVercelly was drinking.

Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. has declined to elaborate on why the two are facing charges even though they weren't present at the party, but he has noted that facilitating is included in the criminal code that defines hazing.

The other students who entered not guilty pleas earlier are Adriano DiDonato, 22, the fraternity's house manager; and Michael J. Torney, 21, the chapter president.

If convicted, the five defendants each would face a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and $10,000 fine.

link to report : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081601050.html

Four students held on charge of ragging

Four students held on charge of ragging

Guntur, August 24: The scourge of ragging raised its ugly head again in the city, when four final year degree students of Hindu College charged with ragging on Thursday by the Lalapet police.

Based on a complaint by the first year students of B.A, hailing from Tadikonda and the college management, the Lalapet police charged the four boys with ragging. The students were arrested and later produced in the fourth additional magistrate court. According to Lalapet Sub Inspector M. Hanumantha Rao, the four final year students, including one from B.Com, had been accused of forcing freshers to dance on the college premises and do other uncomfortable things, much against their will. Based on a complaint from the students, the police came to the college on Thursday. They paraded the students and let the first years identify the accused.

Later, the accused were taken into custody.

link to report : http://www.siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=201617&Itemid=63&cattitle=Andhra%20Pradesh

Panel to probe 'ragging' case

Panel to probe 'ragging' case
28 Aug 2007, 0117 hrs IST,TNN

NAGPUR: The RTM Nagpur university has appointed a three-member committee to probe the alleged ragging of a political science student residing in the varsity’s hostel at Law College Square here.

Gulab Bawanthade on Sunday lodged a complaint against fellow inmate Usmankhan Habibkhan Pathan, accusing the latter of physical and mental torture.

Speaking to TOI, vice chancellor S N Pathan said a preliminary inquiry had been conducted by a two-member committee comprising hostel warden Arun Patil and registrar Subhash Belsare. On the basis of the preliminary inquiry, the university has lodged a formal police complaint.

"The preliminary report suggests that there was no incident of ragging, but it was personal feud between the two. Both of them were classmates while doing MA Marathi. However, the report also brought out some startling revelations that many unauthorised persons stay illegally in the hostel at the expense of these students and harass them," the vice chancellor said.

"Accused Usmankhan is one such person who stays illegally in the hostel and creates ruckus. He is not even an approved teacher of the university. The BPEd college, where he works is also not affiliated to the RTMNU," the VCstated.

The VC said the university’s legal counsel B G Kulkarni had advised him to conduct a detailed inquiry considering the seriousness of the incident. A three-member committee comprising an executive committee member, a dean and a principal would be set up on Tuesday.

"The panel would investigate the incident thoroughly and also hear the version of Hemraj Meshram, who is an eye-witness. His version along with Usmankhan’s would be crucial in the matter. The committee will submit a detailed report within eight days. Based on this report, further action will be taken," he said.

link to report : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/Panel_to_probe_ragging_case/articleshow/2316196.cms

Ragging: Cept takes action against students

Ragging: Cept takes action against students

Express News Service

Ahmedabad, August 25 Days after National Students Council of India (NSUI) made allegations against university authorities for not taking action against senior students for ragging other students, Cept University announced disciplinary action against its students except First Year students on Saturday.

Neelkanth Chhaya, Spokesperson of the university said, “The students who were interviewed said that everybody was responsible because of which we couldn’t take action against specific students.” He further said, “We interviewed more than 90 students and found that a social event was held in which students presented a skit, song and a dance. However, there was no coercion done by students in the event. “

In the findings of the Committee’s report that was discussed on Friday by the Executive Committee members before the students and their respective parents, the punishments were meted out separately to the students’ council members and students body. The present Students Council will be disbanded and members debarred from holding any office this academic year.

The Executive Council also decided to debar the students’ council members from prizes, if they are entitled for any, for this academic year apart from participating in social service.

The university has also charted out disciplinary action on students body of Cept undergraduate programmes, as per which they will have to perform social service through a ‘Community Environment Improvement Project’ at schools and hospitals that are deficient in facilities.

The university had set up a Committee to look after the allegations made by the NSUI of certain senior students ragging new-entrants in full knowledge of university authorities.

link to report : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=252862

Dean Pleads Not Guilty in Hazing Case

Dean Pleads Not Guilty in Hazing Case

By CHRIS NEWMARKER
The Associated Press
Thursday, August 9, 2007; 4:44 PM

TRENTON, N.J. -- Rider University's dean of students pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal hazing in connection with the death of a freshman who had been binge drinking at a fraternity house.

The dean, Anthony Campbell, was one of two school officials and three students charged with aggravated hazing. He did not speak at Thursday's court hearing.

The student, 18-year-old Gary DeVercelly Jr. of Long Beach, Calif. had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent _ more than five times New Jersey's legal limit for driving _ when he was pronounced dead March 30 at a hospital, authorities have said. He died one day after drinking at a party at the Phi Kappa Tau house on the private school's campus in central New Jersey.

Prosecutors said the party was a special event in which pledges such as DeVercelly would drink with fraternity members. Some of the pledges drank entire bottles of hard liquor in less than an hour, prosecutors said.

The four others charged are Ada Badgley, 31, the university's director of Greek life; Adriano DiDonato, 22, a student who was also the residence director and house master of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house; Dominic Olsen, 21, pledge master of Spring 2007 Phi Kappa Tau pledge class; and Michael J. Torney, 21, the chapter president.

DiDonato pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. Badgley, Olsen and Torney have yet to appear in court.

Before Thursday's hearing, Campbell's lawyer, Rocco Cipparone Jr., said his client wasn't at the party and didn't play any role in arranging it.

"I'm not aware of any set of facts and circumstances that could remotely serve as a basis for a conviction of a crime," he said.

Standing with Campbell after the hearing, Cipparone said his client had received many supportive phone calls and e-mails. He described Campbell as a "very caring dean of students."

If convicted of the hazing charge, the officials and fraternity members would face a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a fine as high as $10,000.

Prosecutors said the defendants "knowingly or recklessly organized, promoted, facilitated or engaged in conduct which resulted in serious bodily injury" to DeVercelly and another student, William Williams, who survived.

Doug Fierberg, a lawyer who has represented hazing victims since the mid-1990s, called the case a watershed that shows universities must take hazing seriously. DeVercelly's parents have retained him.

Henry Nuwer, a professor who has studied campus hazing for years, said it would be difficult for prosecutors to prove Campbell and Badgley committed a crime.

"I haven't seen the reckless disregard you would need for a conviction," said Nuwer, an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College in Franklin, Ind.

Campbell and Badgley still work at the university. A university spokesman, Jonathan Meer, has said a decision on their status is expected next week.

Cipparone, Campbell's lawyer, has said that his client may need some time off for his legal proceedings, but that he fully intends to continue working at the university.

The school dissolved the Phi Kappa Tau chapter on Friday.

link to report :http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080901353.html

Attack on deemed varsity

Attack on deemed varsity


Special Correspondent


Attack on deemed varsity


Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD: Volunteers of the National Students Union of India , the students’ wing of the Congress, attacked the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology, a deemed university, to protest against alleged ragging of junior students by their seniors.

According to an NSUI spokesman, some freshers in the architecture section were subjected to ragging, which included even “sexual harassment,” by the senior students of the institution on Monday.

On complaints by some parents, the institution authorities allegedly defended the seniors and refused to acknowledge that there was any ragging.

link to report : http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/15/stories/2007081561671500.htm

CM launches 'Green India' tree plantation programme

CM launches 'Green India' tree plantation programme

Hyderabad, Aug 20 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today launched 'Green India' tree plantation programme to commemorate 63rd birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The programme was organised by the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of Congress.

Speaking on the occasion here, Dr Reddy appealed to NSUI activists to follow the footsteps of Rajiv Gandhi and play an important role in nation building. He wanted the students to involve in various social service activities and work against social evils like ragging and child labour.

NSUI State President Vamshi Chand Reddy said the Green India programme was implemented in each and every district in the state.

link to report : http://www.newkerala.com/july.php?action=fullnews&id=54982

Colleges gear up to stop ragging

Colleges gear up to stop ragging

Panjab University has already suspended six students for ragging their juniors

Khushboo Sandhu

Chandigarh, August 11: The new session of Panjab University (PU) and other colleges has just started and there is an air of excitement one can feel on the campus. However, there is also a slight nervousness among the freshers about the ‘reception’ that would be given to them by their seniors.

The recent incident of suicide by a first year student of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, allegedly due to ragging by his seniors, has made the authorities in other institutes stand up and take notice.

With the Supreme Court giving stringent guidelines against ragging, the institutes have become strict with action taken against those found ragging.

Panjab University has already suspended six students in the last few days after complaints were received against the students. While five students of University Institute of Engineering and Technology were expelled from the hostel and the department on July 26, one student of Department of Chemical Engineering was suspended on Friday for a week and slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 for ragging their juniors.

Dean Student Welfare (DSW) Prof Naval Kishore says, “We have a Central Monitoring Committee and five sub-committees. Teachers take constant rounds of the campus. The wardens also stay in the hostels till 11 pm.”

He adds, “The Supreme Court guidelines make it clear that if the complainant is not satisfied with the action taken by the authorities, then an FIR can also be lodged.” Besides, posters with phone numbers of the wardens have been pasted on the notice boards in the hostels.

Similarly, at Punjab Engineering College (PEC), DSW Dr K K Garg says, “We have put up posters in all hostels which state that ragging is banned and those found indulging in the same would be punished under the Supreme Court guidelines.”

“The seniors at our college in fact welcome their juniors. They hold a four-day long orientation programme and then the juniors organise a function to thank the seniors,” says Dr Garg.

The city colleges are also geared up to deal with incidents of ragging. Anti-ragging committees have been constituted in almost all city colleges.

Principal of Government College, Sector 46, B S Saluja says young teachers have been made part of the anti-ragging committee. “The teachers took rounds of the college and for many days the students could not recognise them. They took them to be their seniors. And no untoward incident has been reported till now,” says Saluja.

Promila Bhardwaj, principal of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, says the college has been divided into zones and teachers take rounds of the college from time to time. “The wardens have also been asked to be extra cautious. However, once the initial euphoria is checked, there will be no incidents,” she says.

Some city colleges have also started the session for the first year students well before their seniors join back. This gives time for the students to acclimatise with the surroundings.

But even with these measures, certain incidents of ragging have come to light. Introductions late at night continue in some hostels.


link to report : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=250543

College files ragging complaint

College files ragging complaint

Chinsurah/Calcutta, Aug. 11: The Saroj Mohan Institute of Technology in Hooghly today lodged an FIR against “a large number of senior students” for ragging a fresher and sending him to hospital.

Suman Das, an 18-year-old from Jadavpur, was allegedly kicked, punched and slashed by his seniors in a classroom yesterday and then ordered out of the campus by the principal.

The seniors did not even spare Suman’s father Shankar Ranjan Das when he tried to rescue his son, according to the complaint lodged by Shankar at Jadavpur police station.

N.K. Singh, the director of the institute, said: “Last night, I had verbally informed the police immediately after the incident. Today, I went to Balagarh police station with the principal, M.K. Biswas, to lodge a written complaint.”

Three months ago, the Supreme Court had put the onus of action against ragging on colleges. “We have filed the FIR within 24 hours of the incident in accordance with the apex court ruling,” Singh said.

Asked if he had named the seniors in the FIR, Singh replied in the negative. He said a five-member committee would probe the incident. “Let us first complete the internal probe and only then we shall be able to identify those involved.”

K. Kunda, the head of the department of basic sciences, is heading the probe panel.

According to the officer-in-charge of Balagarh police station, Partha Sarathi Paul, the institute said in its complaint that “a large number of senior students had attacked Suman”.

Suman’s father had told Jadavpur police yesterday that he could identify those who had assaulted his son. “Though I do not know their names, I can identify them if they are presented before me.”

“Our officials today visited the institute and spoke to some seniors. It will take a few more days to catch the culprits,” Paul said.

Suman, who was admitted to MR Bangur hospital in Tollygunge, was taken home tonight after a CT scan.

“We brought Suman home after the doctors said there was no reason to worry. We shall now admit him to a nursing home,” his father said.

The principal of Calcutta’s Ashutosh College, Debabrata Chowdhury, today visited Suman and offered him help.

link to report : http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070812/asp/bengal/story_8182939.asp

NSUI vandalises CEPT for inaction against ‘ragging’

NSUI vandalises CEPT for inaction against ‘ragging’

Express News Service

Ahmedabad, August 14: Close on the heels of allegations of CEPT University glossing over reports of ragging on campus, members of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Tuesday barged into the university with sticks and iron rods and vandalised part of the university alleging university’s inaction against students who ragged 6 First Year students. Meanwhile, the university has formed a fact-finding committee to look into the ragging issue.

According to details, almost 60 NSUI members stormed into the university with sticks and rods in the presence of local guards and broke glasses and furniture in buildings on campus. “We have evidence to prove that some students were being ragged, but authorities are sheltering the culprits. We had given them a day’s ultimatum to take action which they failed to do, therefore, we resorted to violence,’’ said NSUI city president Vinay Tomar.

University authorities later filed a complaint with the Navrangpura Police Station stating unidentified students stormed into the campus and vandalised property. NSUI, on the other hand, said that it would again resort to violence if the issue was not resolved in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, university authorities have set up a committee to look into the allegations. University Dean CN Ray said, “As per the dfirector’s direction we have formed a fact-finding committee to punish the culprits. The findings of the committee will be out in a week’s time.”

link to report : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=251040

MBBS fresher driven to suicide due to ragging

AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: The parents of a first- year MBBS student on Wednesday alleged their son was driven to suicide after being "severely ragged" in Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh.

GMCH Director-Principal H M Swami, however, denied any ragging in the college but said a committee would probe the matter.

Manjot Singh's parents Milap Singh and Paramjit Kaur, who live in Pratap Nagar in Amritsar, demanded a high-level probe into the alleged suicide of their son last Saturday.

They said Manjot returned home after being severely ragged by senior students at GCMH and committed suicide.

Manjot joined classes on July 21, phoned home saying he was "upset" in Chandigarh and that he would come back as soon as possible. "The very next morning he returned," Milap said.

When the parents returned after shopping on Sunday, they found him on the bed "motionless", he said, claiming the boy had ingested some "poisonous substance".

"Later, friends of Manjot told us he underwent severe ragging in college and then went into a depression," he said.

Swami said Manjot was ranked 38 in All-India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Examination and was staying in the college hostel. He had given his first choice as Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi but was "rejected as he was colour-blind".

He was then referred to PGIMER here, which said his case was not that serious and he could be admitted.

He said Manjot may have been unhappy due to non-selection in the Delhi college.

link to report : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/MBBS_fresher_driven_to_suicide_due_to_ragging/articleshow/2266496.cms

Ragging in Hooghly: student, parent beaten up

Ragging in Hooghly: student, parent beaten up

Suman Ranjan Das was thrashed for nearly two hours; when his father tried to save him, he too, was targetted

Express News Service

Kolkata, August 10: The Indian Institute of Technology may have come up with a detailed checklist of what consitutes ragging, but the smaller institutions in and around the city are yet to wake up to this menace. A month after a student from Kanpur was mercilessly beaten up and left for dead by his seniors at the Indian Indian Institute of Hotel Management, another youth also shared nearly the same fate in the backyard of the state capital.

Suman Ranjan Das (18), a mechanical engineering student of Guptipara Saroj Mohan Institute of Technology, Hooghly, is now recuperating at the M R Bangur Hospital. His seniors had beaten him up for a good two hours. Not only that, they even assaulted his father.
Lying on the hospital bed with injuries in his head, neck, legs and chest, Suman, a resident of 5/34 Rajendra Prasad Colony near Golf Tower, said: “For two hours, around 40 students of the third and fourth year beat me up. When my father came to my rescue, they did not even spare him. He has suffered injuries on his right leg and head. No one from the college administration or teachers came forward to help us. Later, my father somehow managed to bring me out of the college with the help of Rajib Das, owner of the mess where I was supposed to stay.”

The incident occurred at 11.15 am, Suman said. The first class of the first day had barely started when some seniors came and called him out.

He was ragged verbally and allowed to go. But barely had he reached the class, when the seniors came back in a bigger group, called him out, took him to a corner and started beating him up. When they left, Suman called his father. But within minutes, the gang came back again and the thrashing started afresh.

Sankar Ranjan Das said his son was was to return home by 3:30 pm. But in the noon, he got a call. It was his son, asking for help.

“I immediately rushed to the college and found 50 to 60 students mercilessly beating up my son. When I went to save him, I was also beaten up,” he said.

Rajib Das told Newsline: “When Suman’s father asked me for help, I drove to the college and managed to bring the father-son duo out of the college premises. I was surprised to see that the director and principal of the college were watching the incident as mere spectators.”

Sankar Das, who works in a private company at Lake Road, said: “After the Supreme Court directive against ragging in academic institutions, I thought my son would be safe in the college. But I was wrong. Although Supreme Court has recommended that every institute has to set an anti-ragging squad, there was no such body in this institute.”

Director of the institute, N K Singh, however, said that this was not a case of ragging. “Suman had initiated the scuffle with his seniors as he had beaten up some of them. We will form a committee to inquire into the matter,” Singh said.

Sankar Das has lodged an FIR at Jadavpur Police Station today. “Though ideally this should be a case of Balagarh Police Station, we have received the complaint considering the gravity of the incident. We have started investigating the matter jointly with our counterparts at Balagar,” said a senior officer of Jadavpur Police Station.

SP Hooghly, Rajiv Mishra, said: “This is a serious incident. We will look into the matter and act accordingly. If the accused are identified and proved guilty, severe action would be taken against them.”

link to report : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=250358

Rider dean pleads not guilty in hazing death

Rider dean pleads not guilty in hazing death
by Tom HesterThursday August 09, 2007, 3:50 PM



Anthony Campbell, one of two Rider University officials accused in a precedent-setting indictment stemming from the fraternity binge drinking death of a freshman pledge in March, pleaded not guilty today to a charge of aggravated hazing.


Campbell, 51, of Lawrence, is the school's dean of students. He and Ada Badgley, 31, also of Lawrence, the director of Greek life, and three student Phi Kappa Tau fraternity student leaders are charged with aggravated hazing in the death of 18-year-old fraternity pledge, Gary DeVercelly of Long Beach, Calif.

The indictment of Campbell and Badgley marks the first time in the United States that college officials have been accused of playing a role in a hazing death. Authorities said they were not present in the Phi Kappa Tau frat house on the university's Lawrence campus on the night DeVercelly drank himself into a coma during a pledge hazing. He later died in a Trenton hospital. A Mercer County grand jury contended Campbell and Badgley should have done more to prevent underage drinking on campus.

With his attorney, Rocco Cipparone Jr., at his side, Campbell pled not guilty before Superior Court Judge Andrew J. Smithson at the Mercer County Courthouse in Trenton. The judge then released him without bail.

Adriano DiDonato, 22, of Princeton, the fraternity's student residence director, pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Badgley and Dominic Olden, 21, of Kenilworth, the fraternity pledge master, are expected to be in court next week. Michael Torney, 21, of Randolph, the fraternity president, will enter his plea on Friday.

'I think it is unusual," Cipparone said of the hazing charge against Campbell. "I expect at the end of the process we will see the full exoneration of Dr. Campbell."

Cipparone added, "Dr. Campbell is obviously distressed by the charge being leveled against him but the indictment is devoid of any factual allegation of what he can be held criminally responsible."

Cipparone described the case as "One of first ... when an administrator who did not take part in the alleged hazing is charged with it. I am not aware of any precedent."

link to report - http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/08/rider_dean_pleads_not_guilty_i.html