12 students of Karnavati University expelled from hostel for ragging juniors

“We were sleeping when senior students woke us up and asked to gather at one place. We were then asked to remove our clothes and perform inappropriate activities in front of everyone. We were not only physically violated but also mentally harassed,” one of the victims told The Indian Express.

Among the 12 seniors, while eight are from Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Bihar, the rest are from Gujarat. Similarly, the junior students are from Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan as well as Bhuj and Amreli in Gujarat.

When contacted, D G Chaudhary, the owner and manager of Geeta Residency, said, “We have taken it in writing from the senior students that they have ragged their juniors at the hostel. We have informed their parents that their wards have been expelled from the hostel.”

“Further, we have informed the university authorities, who have asked us to expel the accused and also inform the police about the incident,” he added.

However, Ritesh Hada, the president of Karnavati University, denied that the university has directed the hostel management to expel the students. The decision to expel the students from the hostel were taken by the hostel management, he added.

On action being taken against the senior students, Hada said, “We are aware of the incident but so far have not taken any action, as the matter will be dealt with by the disciplinary committee. The ragging policy is very clear, it is an unacceptable. But at the same time, we have to act as per the regulatory framework.”

The private hostel facility has been running for nearly four years and caters to around 160 students. While in the first year, the university authorities managed the hostel, Chaudhary has been running the hostel for the last three years.

While Chaudhary said the Adalaj police station is investigating the matter, till the filing of this report, no FIR has been registered.