FIR not filed in Ragging Cases; 18 MBBS students under scanner, reveals RTI

Mumbai: Around 18 MBBS students studying at well known Mumbai based medical colleges are under the scanner for indulging in the acts of ragging, with the same not being reported to the police, a recent RTI has revealed.

The information was revealed after Activist Shakeel Ahmed Shaikh filed an RTI application following the unfortunate incident where a 26-year-old PG medico pursuing MD Gynecology from a well known BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai had allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her hostel room.

Also Read: Mumbai: MD Gynecology commits Suicide over alleged Harassment, 3 Seniors booked for Abetment

Started in 1969 as a maternity home, Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital is a public hospital located in Juhu owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and is operated under a public-private partnership.

With the RTI reply, it has now come to light that 10 MBBS students at Cooper Hospital have been under surveillance for engaging in the brutal act of ragging. No penalty was validated for these medical students except for suspension for 8 of them out of the 10 medical students. RTI also pointed out in its reply that during this period the hospital's anti-ragging committee organized 11 meetings.

However, Dr Pinakin Gujjar, Dean, Cooper Hospital, in response to the issue clearly mentioned that he is unaware of any such incident and there have been no complaints since he took charge

"Any complaint during my tenure will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly," Gujjar told The Hindu.

Displeased over the response, activist Shaikh told the daily about how the medical colleges have been negligent in such cases. A similar query sent to Nair Hospital brought to light the suspension of eight MBBS students from the hostel for indulging in ragging. Surprisingly, the incident had taken place prior to Dr Tadvi's death and in these cases too, the cops were never informed.

"The Anti-Ragging Committee received its first complaint from two MBBS students in 2014. The committee again received two ragging complaints in January 2015 from a first-year microbiology resident doctor. Subsequently, another complaint was received in March 2015 from a second-year physiology doctor," said BYL Nair Hospital in a response to an RTI application, reports ANI.

"We had suspended two students for six months from the hostel of our hospital. Two other students, who ragged juniors, were suspended from the hostel permanently," the official response added.

Notably, as per the UGC guidelines, it is mandatory to file an FIR in all ragging complaints.

"The RTI response I have received shows the authorities have been ignorant," RTI activist Shaikh told The Hindu.

Also Read: Jaipur: Two final year MBBS Students arrested for alleged ragging at NIMS