Ragging gets uglier at Karnataka medical college

A girl and a boy were made to strip by senior students and locked up for three days without food or water when they refused to have sex at a medical college in Bijapur, Karnataka.

The state's Medical Education Minister Dr Shankar Naik said the incident took place on Monday, January 27, at the Liberal District Educational Association Medical College in Bijapur.

Dr Naik, after a meeting with officials, said he has deputised a senior official to visit the college for getting firsthand information.

State Director-General of Police A P Dorai said the local police have booked cases against 19 students and four of them have been arrested.

According to a report from Bijapur, the girl was forced out of her hostel by some seniors and confined to a room with a first-year student. They were locked up when they refused to subject themselves to further indignities.

According to some parents, the juniors were picked up during nights to be tortured in various ways. The police are on the lookout for 11 more students accused in the crime.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has decided to take a tough line against the accused students.

Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting, Higher Education Minister B Somasekhar said if the offence was proved, the students would be debarred.

The government had issued a notification a few months ago, making ragging a cognisable offence under Section 116 of the Education Act.

He said the cabinet discussed the incident and the deputy commissioner and the superintentdent of police have been asked to inquire into the incident and report to the government.

However, he did not comment on the reported denial of the incident by the Bijapur superintendent of police.

Referring to the allegation that the hostel warden had connived with the students in the incident, he said if it was proved, action would be taken against him too.

The minister said the government has suggested formation of committees in various colleges with, inter alia, the principal, heads of the departments and sub-inspectors as members. It should meet once in a week. The colleges have also been directed to display penal provisions for ragging on notice boards, he added.

UNI