Suspended for ragging

Updated on: Monday, September 27, 2010

Eight students belonging to three of the city’s top colleges have been suspended from Hindu Hostel for ragging. The three colleges — Presidency, Goenka and Maulana Azad — are also examining if they should be given a more severe punishment than just suspension from the hostel.

The eight second-year students were involved in ragging their seniors — first-year PG students of Presidency — who are also boarders at the hostel.

According to a complaint filed with the Presidency principal, the seniors were verbally abused and thrashed on the night of September 23 by the juniors. The harassment, which had been going on since they moved into the hostel, had “crossed all limits” that night.

It was alleged that the eight students felt that since the seniors had not graduated from Presidency College, they did not have the “right pedigree” and hence would have to “go through the necessary rigours”.

On September 24, one of the six postgraduate students who was most affected by the physical abuse, complained to principal Amitava Chatterjee. He named all eight junior students and the other victims who were unwilling to come forward and complain.

Hindu Hostel comes within Presidency College’s jurisdiction.

All the students, the raggers and the victims, were assembled at Chatterjee’s office and grilled in the presence of the three principals. It was proved that “prima facie” the eight juniors were guilty and they were immediately suspended from the hostel for an indefinite period of time.

“We will review the situation after the Pujas and decide how long the boys would remain suspended,” Chatterjee said. “We are extremely strict about the issue of ragging and treat it as a crime as per the law of the land. We are sending out formal letters to the principals of Maulana Azad and Goenka College, asking them to see whether these boys should be given a more severe punishment than just suspension from hostels.”

Suspended for ragging

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