Kerala Ragging: Senior students can be expelled in the viral video of the alleged ragging case at a government nursing college in Kerala. The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident, while the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report from the state police within 10 days. Five students of the third year of Kottayam Government Nursing College were arrested yesterday on charges of ranging along with first year student. The arrested students include Rahul Raj, NS Jeeva, NP Vivek, Rigil Jeet and Samuel Johnson.
What happened
In the viral video, senior students are seen laughing and making lewd comments, while a junior student has been tied to bed and something heavy has been placed on his private part. He also attacked him with a compass. Junior students allege that such ragging has been going on for about three months. Police said that all this started soon after the start of class of first year students. He alleged that senior students used to recover money from juniors regularly to buy liquor on Sunday.
The NHRC has termed the incident in Kerala College as “morally condemnable”. It said that the junior student told him that the accused senior students are from Wayanad, Malappuram and Kottayam. These people forced junior students to transfer money online and tortured them physically and mentally.
The NHRC said that a student was allegedly threatened with a knife on the neck, while the other was tied, the lotion was inserted on their body and wounds with sharp weapons. These tasks are not only morally condemnable but also illegal.
Congress and government face to face
The Congress -led opposition UDF alleged that the accused in the ragging case have a relationship with the leftist student organization SFI. Leader of the Opposition VD Satisan, referring to the Students Federation of India (SFI) alleged, “Everyone knows that he is an SFI activist, yet he is now denying it.”
In response, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu said that strict action will be taken against the accused in the Kottayam ragging case. The SFI also denied the charge and denied any relationship with the accused. Bindu said that since the incident took place in an institution of Kerala University of Health Sciences, he also has limitations of direct intervention. Police said the arrested students have been accused under several sections of Ragging Prohibition Act and several sections of the Code of India (BNS), 2023.