Third ragging incident

MUMBAI, SEPT 7: Seven third year MBBS students, all male, of the government-run Grant Medical College GMC have been issued showcause no...

MUMBAI, SEPT 7: Seven third year MBBS students, all male, of the government-run Grant Medical College GMC have been issued showcause notices in connection with the recent ragging of two junior students of the college, the third such incident on the same campus in the last three months.

Two undergraduate students were allegedly called to a room in Apna Hostel at around 2 am on August 19 and were told to strip and simulate sexual acts in the presence of the seven senior students for two hours.

Though no complaints were lodged, the incident surfaced when college authorities were inquiring into another incident where a junior student was summoned to the room of a senior, sources said. Following this, the inquiry committee, comprising Dr S H Gaikwad, professor of medicine, Dr G B Davar, professor of surgery and Dr J B Bhavani, associate professor of urology, stumbled upon the second incident while questioning students. Though the two undergraduate students admitted to being ragged, they refused to lodge awritten complaint, GMC sources say. The duo also failed to identify their tormentors during an identification parade nor did they state the number of the hostel room in which the incident took place.

However, under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999, the principal of an institution in which such an incident takes place is bound to report proceed with an investigation. Apart from the showcause notices issued to all seven students, the matter will also be discussed at the college council meeting on September 8.

Under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999, perpetrators can be rusticated from the educational institution and be banned from seeking admission to any school/college for a maximum five years. They also face two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.

Meanwhile, the college has expelled Sanjay Narmala and Abhijeet Patil from the undergraduate hostel in connection with the earlier incident in which they had called a junior student to their room. A committee hasalso submitted its report to the state government in a case where three post-graduate students were found harassing some undergraduate students near the college canteen on June 8.

Dr A C Mohanty, dean of JJ Hospital, to which the Grant Medical College is affiliated, told Express Newsline that action would be taken in view of the recent incident, which he hopes will act as a deterrent.