Brutal Ragging: 15 IGIMS MBBS students Suspended, Told to leave campus immediately

The recommendation for the suspension was given on Wednesday night, by the anti-ragging committee, IGIMS against the 15 medical students of the 3 batches against whom ragging complaints had been registered at the at Shastri Nagar police station by the 2016 batch.

Patna: A ragging incident that occurred in early July, at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences(IGIMS, Patna) reached its culmination on Thursday, with the college management suspending 15 students of the MBBS 2013,2014 and 2015 batches on the basis of an FIR filed by students of the 2016 batch and their investigation outcomes.

The recommendation for the suspension was given on Wednesday night, by the anti-ragging committee, IGIMS against the 15 MBBS students of the 3 batches against whom ragging complaints had been registered at the at Shastri Nagar police station by the 2016 batch.

In the complaint that the University Grants Commission’s anti-ragging helpline and the Medical Council of India (MCI), received from the ragged students it was stated that it was on the night of July 3 past midnight that the complaining students were tortured both physically and mentally. Names of the oppressors were mentioned in the complaint by the ragging victims. The ragging had allegedly continued for 2 consecutive days.

'"They ragged the 2016 batch students brutally on July 3 and on July 4. They beat up the students and one of them suffered a shoulder injury. The seniors forced us to shed our clothes and asked us to walk nude in the field. They ragged us in the hostel and on the college campus.' This is what has been mentioned in the complaint," a source informed Telegraph.

The suspended were asked to leave the campus with immediate effect on Thursday, in the directive issued by the institute, which ordered them to submit an affidavit attested by a first-class magistrate that such acts of brutal violence would not be indulged in ever again, and if they erred another time, harsh disciplinary action, by the authorities would be taken.

According to sources, the 2016 batch students had complained to the University Grants Commission's National Anti-Ragging Helpline and Medical Council of India online instead of alerting the college authorities

"The UGC National Anti-Ragging Helpline has sent us a summary of the ragging episode and were continuously sending us emails to inquire about our stand on it," said Ranjit Guha. the IGIMS, Principal to the telegraph.

He added: "We got to know later that students had lodged an FIR in this connection. After the FIR, we formed an internal committee which interrogated the students and those present at the hostel where the incident occurred. Written statements were also taken. Information that was revealed in the investigation was communicated to the national anti-ragging committee. The anti-ragging committee, which was later handed over the matter, again interrogated the students and took their written statements and other witnesses. The anti-ragging committee local administrative official, an MBBS boy student, MBBS girl student, faculty member, a member of press among other varied members, recommended the decision to suspend all the 15 students with immediate effect till further orders and it also recommended that the accused students should submit the affidavit. We implemented the anti-ragging committee's order."

A senior official with the IGIMS said: "The UGC national anti-ragging helpline had been sent the recommendation of the anti-ragging committee of the IGIMS. If we would not have implemented the decision, the UGC national helpline would have taken the matter into their own hands and then the matter would have been worse for the students."