8 students face punitive action for ragging

Nashik, August 2: The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has directed the principal of the medical college run by the Marath...

Nashik, August 2: The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has directed the principal of the medical college run by the Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Samaj (MVPS) to initiate proceedings against the eight students found guilty of ragging three girls.

The registrar of the MUHS has asked the college principal Dr G K Saran to initiate punitive action against the eight students found guilty of ragging three girls recently. The MUHS has asked the institution to take action as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999. The Act provides for imprisonment upto two years with fine upto Rs 10,000 (Section 4); debarrment for five years (Section 5); lodging a police complaint within seven days (Section 6) ; and action on the college authorities for failing to do so (Section 7).

The MUHS has indirectly expressed its displeasure over the punishment meted out to the culprits. The college authorities had handed over the case to the Anti-Ragging Inquiry Committee headed by the college principal and the committee (including senior lady professors and students) had asked each erring student to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 and submit a written apology.

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Surprisingly, when contacted, Prof Dr Rekha Rege, who is a member of the committee, refused to speak on the issue. A second year student, Anjali Deshpande, who is also on the committee and is the topper in her class, declined to comment on the incident saying that whatever the principal said was the final word.

The culprits, including Advay Aher (who hails from Deola, native place of former health minister and currently Nashik MLA Dr Daulatrao Aher), have paid the fines and filed apologies for their act.

Meanwhile, the MVPS of which Dr Aher is the chairman, has issued a statement that Advay Aher is not related to Dr Aher. According to a complaint filed by the victims, who are first year students, the eight students from the third year, had asked them to dance, sing obsence songs, mimick an advertisement and measure the area of the classroom with a key on July 22.