GMC Patiala suspends 4 MBBS students for 3 months for ragging juniors

Patiala: In a stringent view, authorities of Government Medical College, Patiala (GMC Patiala) has suspended 4 MBBS students for a period of three months for ragging 15 junior medical students, asking them to perform tasks which were beyond their dignity.

The suspension was implemented after an anti-ragging panel of GMC Patiala held them guilty of ragging.

The ragging menace was disclosed after few 1st-year MBBS students informed the dean of the medical college, Dr KK Aggarwal in a written complaint signed by eight freshers, about the incident that took place on 15th September (Sunday) where freshers were allegedly ragged for 5 long hours from around 11:30 pm till 4 in the morning.

The accused MBBS students entered into the B block of the boys' hostel that was meant only for first-year medicos. As per a recent media report in The Tribune, the 2nd year medicos, who were drunk asked the freshers to assemble in a place and perform tasks which were beyond their dignity, which was quite humiliating for them.

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Acting on the complaint, the freshers were shown photographs of senior medical students and the four MBBS students were identified by the freshers. The accused students were issued a show-cause notice who in their defence stated that there were around 16 -17 senior doctors who took around 15 junior students into a room and ragged them but the college administration pulled them up and not the others.

Thereafter, the matter was probed by a 10-member anti-ragging committee and the 4 medical students were found guilty of ragging junior students. The committee suggested immediate suspension of all 4 medicos for three months.

The accused MBBS students have been barred from entering the college premises till December 31, 2019, and will also not be allowed to appear in the upcoming examinations. Moreover, their hostel facility has been withdrawn till December 31, 2020. Apart from this, a fine of Rs 25000 each has been slapped. In case they fail to pay the fine, they will be restricted from attending classes even after three-month suspension.

Also Read: Saharanpur Medical College: 24 MBBS students suspended for drinking, throwing liquor bottles at Anti-Ragging squad

It has been further claimed by the freshers that minor incidents of ragging had been taking place for quite long, however, nobody dared to come forward and the matter is never reported fearing a controversy.

GMC principal Dr KK Aggarwal told The Tribune, "We have taken a strict action as per the MCI guidelines on ragging. We had already warned the students of strict action for such activities. We won't tolerate ragging in the college at any cost."