Relatives of students who died ‘due to ragging’ look for closure: ‘Doors are open, hoping my son will come home’

The Indian Express tracked down several of these families to find that the story is much more than just that number. It’s about an unresponsive system that is still stuck in a grey zone, struggling to sift through a piling mount of complaints. It’s also about an elusive fight for justice involving countless court appearances and visits to police stations — not a single death has been resolved — and a relentless quest to know why and how their sons and daughters lost their lives in a space they all considered sacred and safe.

‘Don’t know how I am living’

Faizan Ahmed, 23

IIT-Kharagpur

Death: 2022. On October 14, Faizan was found dead in a hostel room that was not his. Eight months earlier, Faizan had informed his hostel about an “ordeal” in which he was abused by senior students in the name of “assimilation.” Rehana and the rest of her family alleged foul play, saying that he had been subjected to ragging on campus.

Case status: An SIT set up by the Kolkata High Court is probing the death after a second post mortem hinted at homicide. “I cannot sleep as I keep seeing his face. The doors of my house as well as the main gate are always open, in the hope that he may come any moment,” said Faizan’s mother Rehana, a Tinsukia resident. But The Indian Express reported that forensic reports have shown signs of a gunshot wound and a stab wound on Faizan’s neck. “I could never have imagined that my boy was tortured like this… I don’t even know how I am living with this knowledge,” Rehana said.

‘I gave up’

Sumbul Ishaq, 18

Dr M C Saxena College of Pharmacy, Lucknow

Death: 2013. According to the family, she allegedly faced repeated bullying and teasing from seniors. After being assured by college authorities, they said she resumed classes on September 2, but jumped from the third floor of the college a day later.

Case status: Sumbul’s father, Abu Ishaq, filed an FIR against the college, which the institution has challenged in the Allahabad High Court. The police said that Sumbul died due to “personal reasons”. The college’s anti-ragging committee concluded the incident was unrelated to ragging. “She had been enduring severe mental trauma due to relentless ragging. Being from a vernacular school, she faced mockery. I pursued the matter with the police for three years but eventually gave up,” said Ishaq, who is a state employee.

The college did not respond to a request for comment. The local Thakurganj police declined to provide details, saying the case was old and its investigating officer had retired. “We stopped following the case about six years ago,” said Ishaq.

‘Destroyed everything’

Priyanka Mukherjee, 19

Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College & Hospital, Jalgoan, Maharashtra

Death: 2014. Found hanging in her ground-floor hostel room. In a purported suicide note, she alleged her roommates had “destroyed everything” but the police could not confirm any instance of ragging.

Case status: An FIR was filed by Priyanka’s father, Dr Nayan Mukherjee, and the case is pending before the Bombay High Court. The Medical Council of India concluded it was a case of harassment and the accused were expelled from the hostel for a year. “We are from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, and she was being ragged for her Bengali accent. I have travelled over 40 times to Aurangabad for court hearings. We have now given up hope of getting justice,” said Mukherjee. The family has since adopted another child. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

A mother in Assam who came to know that her son’s body had signs of a gunshot wound and a stab injury on the neck; a father in UP who gave up hope after pursuing his daughter’s death for three years; an elder brother in Telangana who remains hopeful that justice will be delivered.

These are the searing stories that bring to life the number 78 — the count of students who died on campus allegedly due to ragging, between 2012 and 2023, according to data from the University Grants Commission (UGC) that was obtained under the RTI Act and investigated by The Indian Express.

The Indian Express tracked down several of these families to find that the story is much more than just that number. It’s about an unresponsive system that is still stuck in a grey zone, struggling to sift through a piling mount of complaints. It’s also about an elusive fight for justice involving countless court appearances and visits to police stations — not a single death has been resolved — and a relentless quest to know why and how their sons and daughters lost their lives in a space they all considered sacred and safe.

‘Don’t know how I am living’

Faizan Ahmed, 23

IIT-Kharagpur

Death: 2022. On October 14, Faizan was found dead in a hostel room that was not his. Eight months earlier, Faizan had informed his hostel about an “ordeal” in which he was abused by senior students in the name of “assimilation.” Rehana and the rest of her family alleged foul play, saying that he had been subjected to ragging on campus.

Case status: An SIT set up by the Kolkata High Court is probing the death after a second post mortem hinted at homicide. “I cannot sleep as I keep seeing his face. The doors of my house as well as the main gate are always open, in the hope that he may come any moment,” said Faizan’s mother Rehana, a Tinsukia resident. But The Indian Express reported that forensic reports have shown signs of a gunshot wound and a stab wound on Faizan’s neck. “I could never have imagined that my boy was tortured like this… I don’t even know how I am living with this knowledge,” Rehana said.

‘I gave up’

Sumbul Ishaq, 18

Dr M C Saxena College of Pharmacy, Lucknow

Death: 2013. According to the family, she allegedly faced repeated bullying and teasing from seniors. After being assured by college authorities, they said she resumed classes on September 2, but jumped from the third floor of the college a day later.

Case status: Sumbul’s father, Abu Ishaq, filed an FIR against the college, which the institution has challenged in the Allahabad High Court. The police said that Sumbul died due to “personal reasons”. The college’s anti-ragging committee concluded the incident was unrelated to ragging. “She had been enduring severe mental trauma due to relentless ragging. Being from a vernacular school, she faced mockery. I pursued the matter with the police for three years but eventually gave up,” said Ishaq, who is a state employee.

The college did not respond to a request for comment. The local Thakurganj police declined to provide details, saying the case was old and its investigating officer had retired. “We stopped following the case about six years ago,” said Ishaq.

‘Destroyed everything’

Priyanka Mukherjee, 19

Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College & Hospital, Jalgoan, Maharashtra

Death: 2014. Found hanging in her ground-floor hostel room. In a purported suicide note, she alleged her roommates had “destroyed everything” but the police could not confirm any instance of ragging.

Case status: An FIR was filed by Priyanka’s father, Dr Nayan Mukherjee, and the case is pending before the Bombay High Court. The Medical Council of India concluded it was a case of harassment and the accused were expelled from the hostel for a year. “We are from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, and she was being ragged for her Bengali accent. I have travelled over 40 times to Aurangabad for court hearings. We have now given up hope of getting justice,” said Mukherjee. The family has since adopted another child. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Will pursue till last breath’

Snehal Gaikwad, 19

Venutai Chavan Polytechnic, Pune

Death: 2014. According to the family, there were documents pending submission related to Snehal’s admission in the reserved category. They complained that this led to Snehal allegedly being abused by teachers using caste slurs, and teased by other students. She allegedly committed suicide by hanging in the campus.

Case status: The college denied the charges and attributed the alleged suicide to poor academic performance. The police closed the case without a probe, declaring it as a suicide. “There’s no one willing to listen to those from marginalised communities. But I have vowed to pursue this until my last breath,” said Manisha Gaikwad, Snehal’s mother. Snehal’s father is an engineer.

Dr Mrunalini S Jadhav, the college’s principal at the time, said that an expert committee set up by technical education regulator AICTE conducted “a thorough investigation during their visit” to the institute on November 25, 2014. “They extensively interacted with the principal, head of the department, class teacher, faculty, students, and their parents. No evidence related to ragging involving Snehal Gaikwad was found… the alleged incident did not occur on the college campus but rather outside its premises,” Jadhav said.

‘No system to keep vigil’

Boy, 17

Jayagovind Harigopal Agarwal Agarsen College, Madras University

Death: 2019. He hanged himself after returning home from college. According to the college, the boy was involved in a tiff with seniors and a former student during his first week on campus over an alleged incident with a female student. His ID card was allegedly confiscated by his department.

Case status: Dr M Mohan Krishnan, the principal at the time, said the university sacked the head of the department and asked two accused students to leave, but insisted that the “incident took place due to (the boy’s) personal affairs”. He said multiple inquiries by the college, the university and Tamil Nadu government concluded there was no ragging. The police closed the case since the “complaint was taken cognizance of at the university level and action was taken”. The boy’s uncle, Karthikeyan, said, “There is no system to keep vigil in such cases.”

‘Received threats’

Adarsh Kumar, 23

Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur, Haryana

Death: 2015. College authorities said he had hanged himself from the hostel room’s window using his own belt. “Apart from the anti-ragging helpline, a complaint was also filed with the human rights commission. But no action has been taken. My son’s height is 5.5 ft and the window was at a height of 5.7 ft. I cannot believe he hanged himself on that window,” said Adarsh’s father, Mayakant Pandit, a private sector employee.

Case status: “The police never registered my complaint, stating that it was a case of suicide. In 2020, the human rights commission sent me a report of an investigation conducted by the state’s home ministry which repeated that my son’s death was due to suicide. The Covid crisis stalled my efforts but I am now planning to approach the Supreme Court,” Pandit said. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

‘We have approached HC’

Boy, 16

College: Bhagath College of Diploma in Engineering and Technology, Telangana

Death: 2016. According to the family’s complaint, the boy faced severe ragging. “The institute said my brother died by jumping into their borewell because he was academically stressed. When we asked for CCTV footage, we were told it was not available,” said the boy’s elder brother. The boy hails from an SC community, with another brother who is physically handicapped. His mother has been ill since his death.

Case status: The college denied the charges; it has since shut down. “We approached the Telangana High Court in 2018 but there is no hearing or any development in the case,” said the boy’s brother.

‘10 yrs to get justice’

Anita Sharma, 18

RKDF College of Pharmacy, Bhopal, MP

Death: 2012. In a purported suicide note, Anita accused four senior female students of ragging. It alleged that after she approached a faculty member, the ragging escalated with threats of acid attacks and sexual assault.

Case status: The college’s anti-ragging committee found no incident of ragging. But an FIR was filed and an additional sessions court in Bhopal found the four seniors guilty of abetting suicide and sentenced them to five years in jail. “The major challenge in such cases is convincing the witnesses, who are mostly students and afraid to come forward due to the potential impact on their education and career. In this instance, with the assistance of the police, we managed to convince the witnesses,” said Khalid Qureshi, the public prosecutor. The accused have approached the Bhopal High Court.

‘Will fight for justice’

Tushar Yadav, 19

IIT, Guwahati

Death: 2014. Son of an Armyman, Gurgaon resident Tushar Yadav was found dead on the ground near his hostel. Police concluded that the death was suicide due to depression. But Tushar’s father raised concerns about the condition of his son’s clothing and scars on his body.

Case status: In 2017, a local court criticised the police over conflicting witness statements. “Subsequently, the case was reopened, and a new FIR submitted. I will fight for justice until my death,” said Narender Yadav, Tushar’s father. In January, the Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the police’s report and ordered further investigation by an officer holding a higher rank than the investigating officer. The order also noted that the forensic report did not rule out the possibility that someone had exerted force on the deceased, leading to the fall. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Law too weak’

Himanshu Vishwakarma, 22

Government Polytechnic, Kanpur

Death: 2014. According to the FIR, Himanshu died after an assault by senior students. Two seniors were arrested.

Case status: An FIR was registered on the family’s complaint. The police cited the findings of the college’s anti-ragging committee that the incident was of alleged harassment not ragging. “The committee blamed the death on a fight with outsiders,” said Vineet, Himanshu’s brother, who is a teacher.

‘Our lives disrupted’

Dr Payal Tadvi, 23

Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai

Death: 2019. Tadvi, who was from the Bhil Tadvi community, died by suicide following alleged caste-based discrimination by seniors in her hostel room at Mumbai’s B Y L Nair General Hospital. The police lodged an FIR after being told by Tadvi’s mother Abeda, a Jalgaon resident, that her daughter was allegedly harassed and humiliated by the three accused.

Case status: A probe committee found that Payal was harassed by postgraduate students, Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Mehare and Ankita Khandelwal, which led to their suspension. The college’s anti-ragging committee confirmed the incident of ragging. The three accused were arrested and later released on bail. “The three accused remain at liberty while our lives have been profoundly disrupted. The absence of any mention of caste-based slurs in Payal’s suicide note has formed the basis of the defence’s argument,” said Payal’s husband Dr Salman Tadvi. Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of the college at the time, declined to comment. The police have filed a chargesheet. In June 2024, a special court rejected the discharge pleas of three accused doctors. It also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on the accused, directing the amount to be paid to Tadvi’s mother.

‘He went to study, not die’

Boy, 17

Jadavpur University

Death: 2023. The 17-year-old fell from the second-floor balcony of a hostel building with the police saying that he was “disrobed, bullied and abused with homosexual slurs”.

Case status: An FIR was filed and the police arrested 12 accused, six of them students at the university and the others former students. The case is before the Kolkata High Court. “The college authorities promised justice, but it won’t bring my son back. He went to the university to study, not to end his life. He was humble and shy, never engaging in conflicts. He aspired to study in the US,” the boy’s father said.

2014. According to the family, there were documents pending submission related to Snehal’s admission in the reserved category. They complained that this led to Snehal allegedly being abused by teachers using caste slurs, and teased by other students. She allegedly committed suicide by hanging in the campus.

Case status: The college denied the charges and attributed the alleged suicide to poor academic performance. The police closed the case without a probe, declaring it as a suicide. “There’s no one willing to listen to those from marginalised communities. But I have vowed to pursue this until my last breath,” said Manisha Gaikwad, Snehal’s mother. Snehal’s father is an engineer.

Dr Mrunalini S Jadhav, the college’s principal at the time, said that an expert committee set up by technical education regulator AICTE conducted “a thorough investigation during their visit” to the institute on November 25, 2014. “They extensively interacted with the principal, head of the department, class teacher, faculty, students, and their parents. No evidence related to ragging involving Snehal Gaikwad was found… the alleged incident did not occur on the college campus but rather outside its premises,” Jadhav said.

‘No system to keep vigil’

Boy, 17

Jayagovind Harigopal Agarwal Agarsen College, Madras University

Death: 2019. He hanged himself after returning home from college. According to the college, the boy was involved in a tiff with seniors and a former student during his first week on campus over an alleged incident with a female student. His ID card was allegedly confiscated by his department.

Case status: Dr M Mohan Krishnan, the principal at the time, said the university sacked the head of the department and asked two accused students to leave, but insisted that the “incident took place due to (the boy’s) personal affairs”. He said multiple inquiries by the college, the university and Tamil Nadu government concluded there was no ragging. The police closed the case since the “complaint was taken cognizance of at the university level and action was taken”. The boy’s uncle, Karthikeyan, said, “There is no system to keep vigil in such cases.”

‘Received threats’

Adarsh Kumar, 23

Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur, Haryana

Death: 2015. College authorities said he had hanged himself from the hostel room’s window using his own belt. “Apart from the anti-ragging helpline, a complaint was also filed with the human rights commission. But no action has been taken. My son’s height is 5.5 ft and the window was at a height of 5.7 ft. I cannot believe he hanged himself on that window,” said Adarsh’s father, Mayakant Pandit, a private sector employee.

Case status: “The police never registered my complaint, stating that it was a case of suicide. In 2020, the human rights commission sent me a report of an investigation conducted by the state’s home ministry which repeated that my son’s death was due to suicide. The Covid crisis stalled my efforts but I am now planning to approach the Supreme Court,” Pandit said. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

‘We have approached HC’

Boy, 16

College: Bhagath College of Diploma in Engineering and Technology, Telangana

Death: 2016. According to the family’s complaint, the boy faced severe ragging. “The institute said my brother died by jumping into their borewell because he was academically stressed. When we asked for CCTV footage, we were told it was not available,” said the boy’s elder brother. The boy hails from an SC community, with another brother who is physically handicapped. His mother has been ill since his death.

Case status: The college denied the charges; it has since shut down. “We approached the Telangana High Court in 2018 but there is no hearing or any development in the case,” said the boy’s brother.

‘10 yrs to get justice’

Anita Sharma, 18

RKDF College of Pharmacy, Bhopal, MP

Death: 2012. In a purported suicide note, Anita accused four senior female students of ragging. It alleged that after she approached a faculty member, the ragging escalated with threats of acid attacks and sexual assault.

Case status: The college’s anti-ragging committee found no incident of ragging. But an FIR was filed and an additional sessions court in Bhopal found the four seniors guilty of abetting suicide and sentenced them to five years in jail. “The major challenge in such cases is convincing the witnesses, who are mostly students and afraid to come forward due to the potential impact on their education and career. In this instance, with the assistance of the police, we managed to convince the witnesses,” said Khalid Qureshi, the public prosecutor. The accused have approached the Bhopal High Court.

‘Will fight for justice’

Tushar Yadav, 19

IIT, Guwahati

Death: 2014. Son of an Armyman, Gurgaon resident Tushar Yadav was found dead on the ground near his hostel. Police concluded that the death was suicide due to depression. But Tushar’s father raised concerns about the condition of his son’s clothing and scars on his body.

Case status: In 2017, a local court criticised the police over conflicting witness statements. “Subsequently, the case was reopened, and a new FIR submitted. I will fight for justice until my death,” said Narender Yadav, Tushar’s father. In January, the Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the police’s report and ordered further investigation by an officer holding a higher rank than the investigating officer. The order also noted that the forensic report did not rule out the possibility that someone had exerted force on the deceased, leading to the fall. The college did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Law too weak’

Himanshu Vishwakarma, 22

Government Polytechnic, Kanpur

Death: 2014. According to the FIR, Himanshu died after an assault by senior students. Two seniors were arrested.

Case status: An FIR was registered on the family’s complaint. The police cited the findings of the college’s anti-ragging committee that the incident was of alleged harassment not ragging. “The committee blamed the death on a fight with outsiders,” said Vineet, Himanshu’s brother, who is a teacher.

‘Our lives disrupted’

Dr Payal Tadvi, 23

Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai

Death: 2019. Tadvi, who was from the Bhil Tadvi community, died by suicide following alleged caste-based discrimination by seniors in her hostel room at Mumbai’s B Y L Nair General Hospital. The police lodged an FIR after being told by Tadvi’s mother Abeda, a Jalgaon resident, that her daughter was allegedly harassed and humiliated by the three accused.

Case status: A probe committee found that Payal was harassed by postgraduate students, Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Mehare and Ankita Khandelwal, which led to their suspension. The college’s anti-ragging committee confirmed the incident of ragging. The three accused were arrested and later released on bail. “The three accused remain at liberty while our lives have been profoundly disrupted. The absence of any mention of caste-based slurs in Payal’s suicide note has formed the basis of the defence’s argument,” said Payal’s husband Dr Salman Tadvi. Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of the college at the time, declined to comment. The police have filed a chargesheet. In June 2024, a special court rejected the discharge pleas of three accused doctors. It also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on the accused, directing the amount to be paid to Tadvi’s mother.

‘He went to study, not die’

Boy, 17

Jadavpur University

Death: 2023. The 17-year-old fell from the second-floor balcony of a hostel building with the police saying that he was “disrobed, bullied and abused with homosexual slurs”.

Case status: An FIR was filed and the police arrested 12 accused, six of them students at the university and the others former students. The case is before the Kolkata High Court. “The college authorities promised justice, but it won’t bring my son back. He went to the university to study, not to end his life. He was humble and shy, never engaging in conflicts. He aspired to study in the US,” the boy’s father said.