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This is an archive article published on September 20, 2023
JU student’s death: 35 seniors, 6 ex-students involved in ragging says Panel
The committee also said one hostel superintendent has been found to have committed “dereliction of duty” and recommended that he be suspended for a month.
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The committee also identified 31 other senior boarders who were either “involved” or “present” during the ragging process. Of these, the committee recommended that five students may be rusticated for four semesters and expelled from JU hostels permanently. (Express File Photo)
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JU student’s death: 35 seniors, 6 ex-students involved in ragging says Panel
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An internal committee of Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata probing the death of a first-year student last month has identified 35 senior boarders and six former students/unauthorised boarders as “involved in ragging” at the varsity’s main hostel.
On August 9, a first-year student, aged 17, died after falling off a balcony of the main hostel , allegedly after being ragged and sexually abused. A total of 13 persons — including current and former students — have been arrested in connection with the case.
The panel, in its report, identified six former students and four senior students as main “raggers” in connection with the incident and recommended that the authorities concerned register an FIR against them. The report also recommended that six former students be barred from entering the JU premises permanently, four senior students should be rusticated permanently and barred from entering JU premises permanently.
The panel report read, “The Executive Council should be strict enough to implement the resolutions taken by the Anti-Ragging Committee and Students Welfare Board. Evidently, in a number of cases the Council was reluctant to implement the recommendations received from such bodies .”
Apart from six former students, the committee identified 25 more former students who are “illegal occupants” of the Jadavpur University Main Hostel. The committee said, “Passouts in 2022 or before should be permanently restricted from entering any of the JU hostels. Passouts of 2023 may be restricted from entering any JU hostels for at least one year.”
The committee also identified 31 other senior boarders who were either “involved” or “present” during the ragging process. Of these, the committee recommended that five students may be rusticated for four semesters and expelled from JU hostels permanently.
It said that a total of 11 students may be rusticated for 2 (two) semesters, and expelled from JU hostels permanently while 15 more students may be rusticated for 1 (one) semester, and expelled from JU hostels permanently.
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The committee added, “All the senior boarders of A/2 block, JUMH have been considered under ‘UGC Regulation on Curbing the menace of ragging… When persons committing or abetting ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment. Apart from the August 9 incident, it is evident from many depositions that ragging is a common and regular practice in block A/2. A large number of these accused falsely claimed that no ragging happened in their block. Reportedly, most of them were present in the GB meetings held after the sad incident on the night of August 9 what may be considered as taking part in the conspiracy to suppress the facts related to ragging. No one reported to the authority prior to August 9 that ragging is going on in their hostel.”
The committee identified 95 students in the third category and recommended that, “They may be expelled from the JU hostels permanently.”
UG III pass-out, day scholar, the report said, “He interacted with the victim on the departmental premises and the victim felt scared afterwards.” The committee recommended that the teacher be “warned appropriately” and be debarred from taking “active part” in departmental freshers’ welcome/orientation programmes permanently.
The committee also identified three office-bearers of a student union as being “part of the conspiracy to suppress the facts related to ragging that happened on August 9 and the previous incidents in hostels and premises.”
The committee also said one hostel superintendent has been found to have committed “dereliction of duty” and recommended that he be suspended for a month.
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Another hostel superintendent has been found to have given “misleading and false depositions” to the committee and recommended that he may be transferred. Also, the panel found that two security guards also committed “dereliction of duty” and recommended they be transferred.
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