The tragic incident at Jadavpur University, where a fresher lost his life allegedly due to severe ragging, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation. The inquiry committee, formed by the university, has submitted its report suggesting that the victim was subjected to a pre-planned, intense ragging session, which may have also involved sexual abuse source.
On the fateful night of August 9, the 17-year-old student fell from the second-floor balcony of a hostel. It is believed that this occurred during a ragging episode by senior students, who were not authorized to stay in the hostel. The young resident of Nadia district succumbed to his injuries in a hospital the following day.
The committee, during its investigation, visited the hostel and interacted with various stakeholders. However, they couldn’t definitively pinpoint the exact reasons that led to the student’s tragic fall and subsequent death. Following the incident, 13 individuals, all of whom were either former or current students and boarders of the hostel, were taken into custody in relation to the case, EdEx Live reports.
The report sheds light on the harrowing events of that evening. It suggests that the victim was deliberately isolated for the purpose of ragging. While his peers were attending a hostel general body meeting, he was subjected to a series of tormenting activities. Initially, around 6:30 pm, he and several other freshers were taken to a room by one of the main accused. Here, they were forced to shout derogatory and sexist remarks towards the female residents of the nearby police quarters. This traumatic experience brought the young student to tears.
Later that evening, between 9 pm and 10:45 pm, another ragging session took place. The victim was coerced into signing a complaint letter, which was allegedly drafted by the seniors, against a day scholar from the Department of Bangla. This occurred in the presence of nearly 12-15 boarders.
Witnesses who testified before the committee reported hearing a loud cry for help from the second floor of the A-2 block, past 11:30 pm. Following this, one of the witnesses claimed to have seen the boy running in a state of undress. As he tried to enter a room, he was forcibly pulled out by two to three senior students. The boy’s subsequent movements remain uncertain, as the testimonies provided by witnesses were unclear and inconsistent. The committee, based on the evidence and testimonies, believes that the student may have been subjected to severe sexual abuse.
The aftermath of the incident was equally distressing. Many students discovered the victim lying on the road, adjacent to the A-2 block, in a grievous state. He was bleeding profusely from various parts of his body. The students covered him with a traditional cotton towel, known as ‘gamchha’, and rushed him to a hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive.
This heart-wrenching incident has prompted the university to take stringent measures. In response to the tragedy, Jadavpur University has restructured its anti-ragging committee, incorporating two first-year students, a guardian, and a media representative, in adherence to a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC), according to the Telegraph India.
The entire episode serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of ragging and the urgent need for educational institutions to implement strict measures to eradicate this menace.
