SFI to set up anti-ragging squads in colleges

SFI to set up anti-ragging squads in colleges
Sunday November 25 2007 08:52 IST
Express News Service

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THRISSUR: The Students Federation of India will set up anti-ragging squads in all the colleges in order to root out the evil of ragging, SFI state secretary M. Swaraj has said.

Talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Swaraj said that the SFI would also set up anti-ragging cells in each district.

The SFI will stage a march to the Mannuthy police station on December 4 demanding the arrest of the five senior students of the KAU’s veterinary college at Mannuthy who were accused of ragging a junior student.

He said that the students accused in the ragging cases are not the SFI workers.

Answering a query, he said that the establishment of self-financing professional colleges by the government or under the co-operative sector will help bring down the exploitation of the students by the private self-financing professional college authorities in the state.

[ SAHARA SAMAY ] Two students burnt alive in Gorakhpur

Posted at Tuesday, 23 October 2007 10:10 IST

Gorakhpur, Oct 23: Two first year students of the Gorakhpur University were burnt alive by some unidentified youths, Sahara Samay sources said. They have been admitted to the hospital with severe burn injuries.

The incident took place at the Sant kabir hostel, where some unidentified youths entered their hostel room, sprinkled petrol on them and set them on fire.

The victims were admitted to a private hospital.

The two were first year students and roommates of Gorakhpur University's Sant Kabir Hostel. The incident took place at around 9 p.m. The two victims have been identified as Meraj Lari, a Muslim student, and Bantu Singh who belongs to a village in Gorakhpur.

They were cooking food in their hostel room when around 10-12 unidentified youths barged in, sprinkled petrol on them and escaped after setting them on fire. The incident is being seen as a planned attack as the rooms of the other students were locked from outside when the attack took place. The other hostellers are in a state of shock after the horrific incident.

Doctors said the two have suffered more than 60 per cent burns. Police said they were searching for the culprits. Asked whether it was a case of ragging, police said it appeared to be a case of old enmity and is being seen as a clash between two groups of the University.

[Greater Kashmir] Stop ragging or we’ll commit suicide: IAMS students

MIR FAHEEM ASLAM

Srinagar, Nov 22: Scores of students of the Institute of Asian Medical Sciences (IAMS) at Zakura on Thursday threatened to commit suicide if the college authorities don’t rein in the senior students who are ragging the freshers in the college.

The new comers in the college, who have joined the college nearly a month back to pursue a Bachelors degree in Unani Medicine (BUMS) said the final year students of the college have been “ruthlessly ragging” them for the past one month.

The college authorities, they added, have miserably failed to curb the ragging menace in the college. “We are not against interacting with our seniors. We respect them, but they are resorting to hooliganism and the college administration is watching all this haplessly,” the students, wishing anonymity, told Greater Kashmir.

The seniors, they said, are asking boys to “remove and tighten their pants” in front of girls.

“They (seniors) are asking us to perform immoral acts that we can’t explain,” the students said. “We’re humiliated and nobody is coming to our rescue.”

The college authorities, they said, are not paying heed to their grievances, forcing them to seek help of the media persons in curbing the problem. “We’ll commit suicide if this ragging continues,” said a visibly perturbed student, who approached GK with her mother.

“We’ll quit the college if the college authorities do not initiate disciplinary action against the seniors who have unleashed a reign of terror in the college and are harassing the girls unnecessarily.”

The seniors, they added, have asked them to follow “their guidelines” that they have pasted on certain walls of the college building. The guidelines go like this: “Juniors must know that BUMS seniors are never wrong; if any junior creates indiscipline, he or she will move 3-4 steps backwards and then wish the seniors; if any student complains before the college authorities of ragging, they will be rudely ragged; all juniors will call senior boys as sir and senior girls as madam; and finally no students will use his or her cell before any senior.”

“If any student commits suicide, the college authorities will be responsible for it,” they said, adding, they will request the university authorities to derecognize the college if the ragging continues.

“The university authorities must take a strong note of what’s happening in the college,” they said. When Greater Kashmir apprised the Station House Officer (SHO) Zakura about the problem, he promised action. “I haven’t received any written complaint in this regard. The moment I get receive a complaint in this regard, I assure you that we’ll take action against the culprits,” the SHO, Raja Tasleem said.

When contacted, the college principal Dr Khurseed Ahmad Bakshi said that he has constituted special teams to monitor ragging. “If the students will identify the persons resorting to ragging we will certainly take action against them,” Bakshi told Greater Kashmir. “We can’t tolerate ragging in the college.”

[ The Hindu ] Panel to probe ragging at Cusat

Kerala - Kochi

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: A Syndicate meeting of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) here on Thursday decided to appoint a sub-committee to investigate the ragging case reported from a campus hostel recently.

The sub-committee will submit its report within a week. P.S. Sreejith, Principal of the School of Engineering, will be its secretary.

Syndicate members voiced their protest against the increasing number of ragging cases on the campus.

The Syndicate was divided on starting a new investigation, with the Registrar and the Pro Vice-Chancellor saying that the university authorities had completed a preliminary inquiry. They highlighted the suspension of 21 ragging accused.

Differences cropped up when the university authorities refused to include ragging on the agenda for the meeting. But the Syndicate members owing allegiance to the Left parties opposed the move and demanded an immediate discussion.

The Syndicate urged Vice-Chancellor in-charge and Higher Education Secretary T.K. Jose to ratify the suspension of Registrar A. Ramachandran. The Registrar was suspended on allegations that he had denied benefits to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students during this year’s admission process. Mr. Ramachandran had denied the allegation.

SC seeks ATR from UGC, MCI and AICTE in ragging case

SC seeks ATR from UGC, MCI and AICTE in ragging case


29 October 2007

The Supreme Court has directed University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Medical Council of India (MCI) to file their action taken report within four weeks, detailing the steps taken by them to check the menace of ragging in educational institutions .

A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and Lokeshwar Singh Panta, also refused to entertain an application seeking relaxtation in the condition of having 75 per cent attendance for contesting students union elections in a university or a college.

The court told the applicant, " you were given admission for studying and not for indulging in politics at behest of major political parties. You don't want to attend classes but want to indulge in politics and such a situation can not be accepted ." Earlier, while issuing guidelines for checking the menace of physical and emotional torture of freshers in the name of ragging , the apex court had made it clear that " we want students and not goondas in university campus."

Ragging victim identifies 5 senior students

Ragging victim identifies 5 senior students
Wednesday October 31 2007 03:55 IST
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE


THRISSUR: The ragging victim at Mannuthy Veterinary College under the Kerala Agricultural University, Manu, on Tuesday identified five senior students of the college who ragged him in the college hostel last week.

He identified them from the photo album of the students shown to him. The identified students are Praveen P Varghese, Arun Raj MR, Ebin B Mathews, R Assim and Ajas Mohammed.

Manu, hailing from Neyyatinkara, accompanied by R Chandrasekharan, state president of Vaikundaswami Dharmapracharana Sabha and four other officebearers of the organisation met the Ollur Circle Inspector on Tuesday morning and demanded urgent action against the senior students tortured Manu.

They also urged for protection to Manu for continuing his studies in the college. After getting an assurance of action by the police, they met the Dean of Veterinary College putting forward the same demands.

Chandrasekharan said that the response from the Dean on their demand of action was not satisfactory. Manu along with his companions sat on a dharna in front of the Dean’s office for two hours in protest against the Dean’s reaction.

However, the police intervened and showed Manu the photo album of the senior students from which he identified the five students who ragged him.

He said that the police then searched for the identified students in the college hostel. But by the time the police reached the hostel, the students had escaped. Chandrasekharan said that the police had assured them that the culprits identified would be arrested within two days.

Meanwhile, there are reports of ragging of junior students by seniors at Amala Medical College and Research Institute and Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College in the district.

In the cases of these two institutions, the college authorities have already filed complaints with concerned police stations and investigations are in progress.

Ragging case: KAU suspends 5 students

Ragging case: KAU suspends 5 students
Thursday November 1 2007 02:46 IST
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE


THRISSUR: Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) suspended five senior students of the Veterinary College at Mannuthy on Wednesday in connection with the ragging of a first year student of the college.

The victim identified the five senior students on Tuesday. All the five students are absconding and a search for them is on.

The deadline for submission of the report by a 3-member committee appointed by the KAU to inquire into the alleged ragging was over on Tuesday and the committee is yet to submit the report to the KAU.

KAU Vice-Chancellor KR Viswambharan, when contacted, said that the committee could not complete the inquiry on time due to the non-availability of the alleged victim, who is under treatment at his house in Neyyattinkara.

Five engineering students suspended for ragging

Five engineering students suspended for ragging

Thrissur (PTI): Five senior students of a private engineering college in the district were on Wednesday suspended on charges of ragging a new entrant nearly two weeks ago.

A new civil engineering student in his complaint had alleged that he was taken to a toilet and humilated by his seniors on October 18, authorities of the Vidya Academy of Science and Technology, said.

The college council decided to suspend the five students.

A case has also been registered against the accused at the Erumapetty police station near here.

AICTE warning against ragging

AICTE warning against ragging
Monday October 29 2007 13:42 IST
Express News Service

T'PURAM: The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has issued a warning to technical institutions across the country that action will be initiated against them in case ragging took place in these institutions. The action will include withdrawal of approval if such cases are brought to the notice of the AICTE.

In a recent case, a first year student of the Mannuthy Veterinary College under the Kerala Agriculture University was ragged inside the college hostel. The student unable to bear the ragging of his seniors, attempted suicide by cutting the veins of his wrist. The student belonging to a poor family secured the money to complete his Plus Two by doing manual labour.

The circular assumes significance in wake of the recent cases of ragging reported in various colleges across the State.

According to the circular AICTE/ legal/10(2)/2007 issued by AICTE member secretary K. Narayana Rao ‘ragging in educational institutions in any form is banned under law. ‘‘All the AICTE approved institutions must ensure that ragging does not take place on their campuses in any form. Should such a case be reported or brought to the notice of the AICTE, then the council shall take necessary action including withdrawal of approval’’.

The circular has been published in the website of the AICTE ,www.aicte.ernet.in and also published as advertisement in leading newspapers.

The notice was published in accordance with an earlier Supreme Court verdict that AICTE should take appropriate measure for preventing ragging in technical institutions.

Ragging rampant in Kerala's professional colleges

Ragging rampant in Kerala's professional colleges

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 - An attempted suicide by a first-year veterinary student following harassment by seniors in Kerala led to media reporting about similar cases and highlighting the menace of ragging in the state.

Eighteen-year-old Manu, who worked in paddy fields during his school years to support his family, hoped that his woes would end after he joined the Mannuthy Veterinary College in Trissur earlier this month.

However, harassment by seniors drove him to slash his wrists in an attempt to end his life last week.

'I just could not take all the humiliation. It was too unbearable,' said a sobbing Manu.

Even as authorities were sorting out Manu's case, reports emerged about instances of ragging in two other professional colleges in the state.

On Sunday, two senior students were suspended from the Amala Medical College in Trissur, while five students were suspended from the Pushpagiri Medical College in Thiruvalla for causing mental agony to their juniors.

Reports indicate that the worst affected are students who arrive at these campuses after having done their schooling in the Middle East.

The All India Council for Technical Education has come out with a warning that action would be initiated against the managements of colleges from where cases of ragging are reported.

State Education Minister M.A. Baby told IANS: 'At no cost will our government tolerate such inhuman activities. Irrespective of who is involved, stern action will be taken against the culprits and we are already on the job.

'A mere administrative decision will not be enough to stop this inhuman activity and we will work amongst the society to spread awareness against ragging.'

21 students suspended for ragging juniors in Kochi

21 students suspended for ragging juniors in Kochi

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.

Student lodges ragging complaint

Student lodges ragging complaint

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.

Five students arrested in connection with ragging

Five students arrested in connection with ragging
Thursday November 1 2007


THRISSUR: In connection with the alleged ragging of a junior engineering student, Christo, by the senior students of Vidya Academy of Science and Technology at Kurumal in the district, the police arrested 5 senior students of the college on Wednesday.

Vadakkancherry Circle Inspector said that the students, accompanied by their parents surrendered before him at the police station. He said that they were released on bail later.

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.

Engg student kills self, family blames ragging

LUCKNOW: A first-year student of a polytechnic in Pratapgarh died of alleged poisoning early Tuesday, a few days after he told his parents about a ragging ordeal he faced at the hands of senior students. The family of Amit Tiwari, 22, who was studying mechanical engineering at the Government Polytechnic, filed a complaint with the police saying he had been killed by his seniors for going to the authorities against ragging.

Police said Amit was admitted to the civil hospital in Pratapgarh on Monday evening after he complained of vomiting and stomach pain. He was then taken to the Swaroop Rani hospital in Allahabad when his condition deteriorated, but died before being admitted there at around 2 am.

Amit's brother Arun told TOI that during his visit to his family in Unnao on October 10, Amit told him that he was being ragged by his seniors. "He said the juniors were made to strip in front of others and were beaten up when they resisted," Arun said. Polytechnic officials, however, denied that the death was linked to ragging.

Ragging claims another life

Lucknow, Oct 17: Unable to cope with his daily ragging, another student ended his life by consuming poison in Pratapgarh, Sahara Samay sources said.

Amit, a first-year student of a polytechnic in Pratapgarh, died of alleged poisoning early on Tuesday.

Amit's wailing mother told that her son, who had gone back to his college a couple of days ago from his native place Unnao, had been constantly subject to ragging by his seniors.

The family of 22-year-old, who was studying mechanical engineering at the Government Polytechnic, filed a complaint with the police saying he had been killed by his seniors for going to the authorities against ragging.

On the other hand, the principal of the college has said that ragging is not the reason behind Amit taking the extreme step. He further said that he himself inspects hostel and college rooms from time to time to check ragging.

Meanwhile, police has lodged a case and is probing it.

Bhopal medical students boycott classes, fearing ragging

Bhopal medical students boycott classes, fearing ragging

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.

Three held for ragging in Bangalore

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.

Ragging at Surat Medical College

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

Case registered against vet students for ragging

Case registered against vet students for ragging

Thrissur, Oct 23: Police have registered a case against five students of the Veterinary College in Mannuthy here, following a ragging incident in the college hostel, that led to suicide attempt by the "victim".
Police said Manu, a first year student at the college and native of Neyyattinkara, attempted suicide by cutting a vein in his arm.

He was admitted to the Private Jubilee Mission Hospital here.

Kerala Agricultural University Vice Chancellor K R Viswambaran said stringent action would be taken against those found guilty.

A committee would be appointed to monitor the situation regarding ragging incidents, he added.

--- UNI

Ragging heat on principal

Ragging heat on principal
OUR LEGAL REPORTER
Calcutta, Oct. 24: The high court today dismissed an engineering college principal’s petition to reconsider its order to provide round-the-clock security to a ragging victim.

The principal of Mallabhum Institute of Technology in Bishnupur, Bankura, pleaded that it was near impossible for him to ensure first-year student Soumya Roy’s security through the day and sought respite from the responsibility.

But vacation judge Justice B. Somadder would not have any of that. The administration and the judiciary should be more active in eradicating the evil of ragging, he said.

Soumya, from New Barrackpore, who went to study electronics at the institute, about 230km from Calcutta, had been confined to a hostel room for three days and allegedly forced to take drugs.

Justice Somadder had passed the order on principal Sunil Kumar Roy when the boy’s father sought his transfer to any other engineering institute. But there is no rule allowing a student’s shift from one private college to another.

The judge asked Roy to take special care to ensure that Soumya was not ragged again and added that he would be held responsible in case of a rerun of the torture.

Ragging victim demands justice

Ragging victim demands justice



Staff Reporter







THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A veterinary student who tried to end his life after being allegedly ragged by his seniors at his college at Mannuthy in Thrissur district recently has demanded immediate action against those who had tormented him.

At a press conference here on Friday, M. Manu, hailing from Punnakkad near Neyyattinkara, said the authorities should create an atmosphere that would enable him to go back to the college soon.

“I want to complete my studies. I hail from a poor family and had joined the veterinary college the hard way. But I can go back to the college only if the authorities offer protection to my life because those who had ragged me had threatened to kill me if I made their harassments public,” Mr. Manu said.

Abuse to community


He alleged that those who had ragged him had also abused the Nadar community to which he belonged, apart from forcing him to engage in unnatural sex and showering abusive words on him.

He did not know the names of the students who had tormented him, but would be able to identify them.

R. Chandrasekharan, State chairman of the Vaikunda Swamy Dharma Pracharanasangam, who was present, said his organisation would launch intense agitations if those who had perpetrated the heinous crimes against Mr. Manu were not brought to book soon.

To submit memos


He said the organisation would submit memorandums to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister to ensure that Mr. Manu, son of a poor weaver belonging to the Nadar community, was able to continue his studies peacefully. S. Mohanan, father of Mr. Manu, was present.

Ragging in engineering college

Ragging in engineering college

An 18-year-old student, son of a city sub-inspector, doing his first year aeronautical engineering in a private college in the city, was allegedly beaten up by his seniors who ragged him in the college bus while they were returning from Pondichery. Fellow students admitted him to the Balaji Hospital in Guindy where he was given first aid.

[ToI] Engg student kills self, family blames ragging

17 Oct 2007, 0106 hrs IST,Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui,TNN

LUCKNOW: A first-year student of a polytechnic in Pratapgarh died of alleged poisoning early Tuesday, a few days after he told his parents about a ragging ordeal he faced at the hands of senior students. The family of Amit Tiwari, 22, who was studying mechanical engineering at the Government Polytechnic, filed a complaint with the police saying he had been killed by his seniors for going to the authorities against ragging.

Police said Amit was admitted to the civil hospital in Pratapgarh on Monday evening after he complained of vomiting and stomach pain. He was then taken to the Swaroop Rani hospital in Allahabad when his condition deteriorated, but died before being admitted there at around 2 am.

Amit's brother Arun told TOI that during his visit to his family in Unnao on October 10, Amit told him that he was being ragged by his seniors. "He said the juniors were made to strip in front of others and were beaten up when they resisted," Arun said. Polytechnic officials, however, denied that the death was linked to ragging.

Link to Report

[ Herald Tribune ] Malaysian army probes recruits' alleged abuse, warns against ragging

The Associated Press
Published: October 17, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Malaysian army is investigating claims by two recruits that they were abused by senior officers, a top official said Wednesday, as he warned of severe punishment for bullies in the force.

Zarul Fahmi Shabsuddin, 20, alleged he was forced to drink weapon cleaning fluid while Khairul Azzuwan Zainal Rashid, 19, claimed he was scarred after an officer cut his arm with a knife, said Lt. Gen. Mohamad Effendi Mustafa, commander of the army's first division infantry.

The two recruits, from a military camp in Sarawak state on Borneo island, filed complaints with police late last month, he said.

"We don't accept any ragging ... we don't tolerate such nonsense. We are investigating the allegations and (anyone found guilty) will get into trouble. They will be punished," Effendi told The Associated Press.

Investigations are expected to wrap up this month, he said.

Zarul and Khairul are on leave for the Eid al-Fitr holidays but are expected to return to the camp this weekend, he said, adding that no one has been suspended so far.

Allegations of abuse are not uncommon in the Malaysian army.
Last week, another family lodged a report, asking police to investigate the death of their son in August in an army camp in southern Negeri Sembilan state.

The army has said Norrafizul Abdul Rahim died after falling from a four meter (13 feet) high fence, but the family claimed the post-mortem report showed their son had 25 injury marks on his body caused by blunt objects, local reports said.

Four students eyed in UNH hazing incident

Four students eyed in UNH hazing incident
Updated report

By AARON SANBORN
Democrat Staff Writer


DURHAM — Four students are under investigation by the University of New Hampshire police for an alleged hazing incident on Monday night.

Police say a male Army ROTC cadet had been left tied up in the bucket of a utility truck on Boulder Field shortly after 11 p.m. Police officers patrolling the area found the student after pulling over a vehicle leaving the field.

Three first-year cadets were in the vehicle and when questioned disclosed to the officer that a senior cadet was tied up in the utility bucket truck. All four students are now being investigated.

The student was uninjured and fully clothed, said Deputy UNH Chief Paul Dean. How long the student was tied up and how he was tied up was not disclosed. The student's participation in this incident was voluntary, Dean said.

The cadets were part of an informal, unrecognized student organization called The Tenth New Hampshire Volunteers. The organization contains 23 ROTC cadets who perform community service, said University spokesperson Kim Billings. Since the school doesn't recognize the organization, it doesn't have a faculty adviser.

"The alleged hazing incident involving our cadets is not representative of the ROTC program or the university," said Lt. Col. Michael Carlino, UNH professor of military science, in a statement. "The students involved were acting well outside the purview of the department and in total absence of any of the instructors' knowledge. Any form of hazing is inconsistent with the principles of leadership and judgment that we try to instill in our cadets and we will not tolerate or condone such behavior."

Police hope to conclude the investigation by the end of the week.

"I can't remember the last time we had a hazing incident at the university," Dean said. "We take any hazing incident seriously, the psychological effects on anyone being hazed can be devastating. We will act directly and swiftly."

Hazing is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,200 fine. The students could also face action from the college, depending on the results of the police investigation, Billings said.

"We could also take them through the Student Conduct Board, which could result in community service or suspension," Billings said.

Freshers get extra shield

HYDERABAD: Separate buses, separate messes, and staff doing the rounds to keep a protective eye on them. Yes, engineering colleges are going that extra mile to keep the freshers away from the seniors to prevent any incidents of ragging on campuses.

With the new academic year having begun, the administrative wing of many colleges are geared up to prevent ragging. Several colleges have segregated the juniors, including introduction of separate lunch timings so that students do not meet in the canteen or anywhere on the campus. In Vasavi College of Engineering and Nizam’s Institute of Engineering, separate buses are being used to ferry the freshers.

"We are plying separate buses for freshers so that even when they are not on the college premises there will not be any kind of ragging. The extra care is being taken as we do not want any student to be a victim of any kind of pranks," Vasavi College, principal, D Changal Raju said.

Vasavi College has even put the faculty on weekly duties to roam around in the college premises. They have been asked to keep an eye on the students, especially near the parking place, gate, college canteen and also the less frequented places by the students.

Though the college means well, such practices are not very popular among the students. Many students feel that regulations in meeting only increases the differences between various batches. "There will be no sense of unity among the consecutive batches. We will not be able to come together for any kind of competition or other events where the college has to be represented," said, a third year student of Vasavi College, Raghav Jhawar.

Raghav is confident that there will be no case of ragging in his college even if there aren’t any restrictions. However, the college administration feels that it is better not to take a chance and be on the safe side.

Apart from the general preventive measures, CBIT has even introduced separate mess for junior students where the seniors are not allowed. At least two faculty members are posted at the entrance of the mess. "We have staff who are on duty in the buses as well. Staff members stay put after college hours so that students do not stay back to rag," CBIT principal, B Chenna Kesava Rao said.

The freshers feel that though the institutions were going overboard with their protection they are happy with some of the arrangements. "It is nice to know that the college cares for us. We get a protected feeling," a fresher from CBIT, Sri Ramkishore said.

While the colleges are employing their own strategies to prevent ragging they are also trying to involve the police. The colleges have distributed pamphlets with phone numbers of the police.

They have also asked the police to stay put at public places near the colleges, including bus stops where there is a possibility of students to meet.

The restrictions in the colleges will continue till the freshers’ day where the first year students will be formally welcomed and introduced.

Eight girls accused of ragging arrested in Bhopal

BHOPAL: Eight college girls accused of ragging their juniors at a management institute were arrested in Bhopal on Monday.

The girls, all students of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), arrived at the Kamla Nagar police station with their parents and surrendered. They were arrested and later released on bail, police station in-charge R S Goraiyya said.

After the case of ragging was reported, the girls were suspended from the college and a fine of Rs 2,000 was imposed on each of them. Five of the accused were also suspended from the college hostel.

The complainants alleged in their report that they were humiliated by their seniors who asked them indecent questions.

They also alleged that the seniors forced them to stand for nearly two hours late in the night on October 3, following which two of them fell unconscious and had to be admitted to a private hospital.

Institute Director Rajamohan said strict action has been taken against the accused girls and they and their parents have tendered an unconditional apology for the ragging incident. A report was also submitted to the chairman of the Institute in this regard for further action.

Police had booked the girls for physical abuse and manhandling their juniors in the name of ragging.

The accused were identified as - Kawalpreet Kaur, Jaisline Maria Pinto, Neha Khanna, Dipti Mirke and Hina Ishaq Mohiddin (all hailing from Mumbai), Upasana Goel (Delhi), Rohini Oberoi (Bareilly) and Shubhi Walia (Hyderabad), he said.

College suspends students in Greater Noida ragging case

Greater Noida, October 12 The six students alleged to have stripped and burnt a first year student at the Apeejay Institute of Architecture and Planning were today suspended from the college. The students — Aditya, Aakash, Farhan, Naman, Prashant and Subur — had allegedly sprayed deodorant and burnt the private parts of Prashant Kumar Agrahi on October 4 in the college hostel.
B R Zaidi, Station House Officer of the Kasna Police Station said, “The boys are absconding and have left the college hostel. We have formed teams to trace them and they will be arrested soon.” The victim said he was earlier also beaten up, stripped, made to dance and later hung from the balcony of one of the higher floors. The decision to suspend was taken after the boy’s father Dhruv Prasad Agrahi approached the police on Thursday, police said.

Agrahi had approached a local television channel and got a complaint registered with the Kasna Police Station, where a case of rioting, criminal intimidation, willfully causing injury and illegal confinement was registered against the accused.

D Rajvanshi, chief of the anti-ragging cell, said, “Keeping in mind the serious nature of the crime, we decided to take such an action. It will also act as a deterrent for other students of the college.” Dhruv Prasad said, “It is important that no student is subjected to serious physical and mental torture in the name of ragging.”

The victim, who is in a state of shock, said, “I was too scared to approach the college authorities. They had threatened me with dire consequences.” He told the authorities and his father about the incident on Monday.

Student harassment goes on: Noida is new entrant to the list

Oct 12: When in May this year Supreme Court gave its ruling on Ragging after taking into consideration the recommendations by Raghavan committee we took a sigh of relief in the hope that now this evil could be weeded out from the academic premises and now students can go to colleges without any fear for ragging as there will be mechanisms to handle the violators of the conduct.

To be sorry, hopes were weakened if not belied as I came across various incidents where students dared to overlook the ruling of the Supreme Court and indulged in the crime playing with the life of junior students.

Our students are so badly affected by this leprosy of mind that they lose every reasoning ability and sentiment and moral obligation to respect other’s personality and observe certain norms of humanity. I am horrified that this disease has affected every corner of the country.

No this claim is not void. There are stats to support this claim. During recent months the incidents of ragging were reported from Lucknow, Agra, Bhopal, Indore, Delhi and now welcome new entry Noida.

A quite heinous incident on ragging has been reported from the APJ institute of Greater Noida in which seniors stripped the juniors and made them dance. They also burnt the private parts of the victims. Prashant, a Delhi resident and a student of B.Architecture registered a complaint in police station against seniors when Management did not became active in spite of his complaint and tried to suppress the issue.

This was not enough, to disown any responsibility and escape any punishment they also made them write a suicide note and threatened with dire consequences in case they reveal the incident to anyone. The darker side is that all the students who were misbehaved did not come forward to voice against it.

On the other hand the director told that management has ordered the investigations of the matter at its level.

Some days ago a student, Abdul Bahav was thrown from the third storey of the hostel building of an engineering college in Agra which ended with the breaking of both of his legs and injuries in the backbone. Just a week ago four students were expelled from the Stephen’s college Delhi for allegedly ragging the juniors though college denied it was a ragging incident. In Indorea student named Durgesh Shukla an MCA student committed suicide due to ragging. In Lucknow Sanjay Pal Singh had his nervous break-down due to the harassment. List is not over. Even in Bhopal, hotel management college eight students were suspended over ragging of juniors.

There is one more aspect of some of the incidents. Agra college management claimed that the incident with Abdul Bahav was not a case of ragging but personal fight of students. The principal of St. Stephen’s college also rejected that students have been suspended due to any case of ragging. Most of the time if not always college also tries to cover up the situation.

What is needed courage by the students to resist such practice, strict implementation of the directives by the Court and establishing proctorial board at college level, a complaint box in every college and special watch at the start of new session.

To deter it, expulsion from the college, taking back the degree and fine can be imposed on the student. And as the court suggested there should be incentives for curbing the menaces well as disincentives for the institution if fails to do so. We also need to weed it out from our psyche. This reflects a sick psyche not the civilized one.