Ragging in Jadavpur university hostel- clarification

KalimNews, Kalimpong: The authorities of the Jadavpur University had debarred two fourth year engineering students from appearing in semesters for allegedly ragging juniors. One of them, a student of construction engineering, would be suspended from taking one semester, while the other, a student of printing engineering, would be suspended from taking two consecutive semesters, university sources said.

The decision to suspend the duo was taken by the anti-ragging committee of the university, they said, adding that they have been asked to vacate the hostels. The action followed complaints by two junior students of being ragged by senior students recently. The two students were suspended on Wednesday after they were found guilty of ragging a junior student.University’s registrar Pradip Kumar Ghosh said, that the decision was taken after investigating the matter and ascertaining the guilt of the students. 

A second year engineering student of the University’s Information Technology department had lodged a complaint with the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the last week of August alleging that he was ragged for several weeks by his seniors. 

The student, a resident of the State’s Darjeeling district, has alleged that he was beaten up by his seniors who also broke the window panes of his room at the University hostel located in Salt Lake in the north-eastern fringes of the city. 

The UGC forwarded the complaint to the University authorities who set an inquiry committee to probe the matter. The committee held that students were guilty and accordingly punishment was given to them. 

The victim student who was ragged states that the mates of senior students suspended by the university are spreading rumours just to save their friends. 

Ragging of the freshers in the university by the senior students is a regular phenomenon. This year 6 students from the hills were admitted in the 1st year and from the very beginning the seniors had tried to rag them by imposing dress code. 

The victim student along with his friend protested against this. Since then, they were targeted and they started accusing them of being communal. Of the six 1st yr students, 2 of them were not allotted hostel rooms so they were staying with the seniors as guests, which according to the hostel rules was not permissible. Taking this opportunity, a few seniors, including the accused, and one who has been suspended along with his friends gathered outside my room, said the victim. 

"They told me to take away the 1st year student from the hostel. They threatened me of dire consequence if the 1st yr student is not taken away by the next day. To avoid any untoward incident the students were taken away from the hostel. On the the next day of 23rd August, a group of senior students gathered outside my room while I was in the bathroom which is very close to my room. I recognised them from their voices. They were the same students that confronted me a day before. They were shouting and I heard a loud sound of breaking glass. When I came out of the bathroom I found that my window pane had been broken. "

" I reported this incident to the AGC of our campus. He assured me that he would talk with those students and called a meeting with them. Accompanied by my friend I went to meet them. Many fourth year students too had gathered in the meeting. In the meeting I could not control myself and talked with them in a very rude manner. The leader of group was also there. I told him that if he had any problem he can talk directly but there was no need to break my glass in my absence. But those seniors denied of breaking the glass and asked me to prove the allegation. I had no evidence to prove him guilty. "

"But it was discovered that during investigation by the authority they admitted to the Dean of the students that they were present there. Following this they accused me of making false allegation against them and being a junior I failed to respect them, so I was asked to apologise. On refusing to apologise another senior student who also was suspended, slapped me on my face." 

"Though I was furious and about to confront him my friend controlled me and the situation and advised me to say sorry and go away from there. Later on other seniors assured me that such things wont happen again and no one would bother me. Again in the morning of 25th august, some faecal matters were found on my door, which was reported and a complain was lodged to the hostel superintendent and to the UGC. 

The authority set up an enquiry committee and those two students were found guilty and suspended from the college. This situation arose because of the fact that they tried to rag the 1st year students. I want to know from you guys, is this not ragging? Or a framed ragging case as projected by the protestors ?, Asks the victim.