Eighteen medical students, including intern doctors, of Seth GS Medical College, Parel, which is associated with the King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, were arrested for ragging late on Sunday evening after the college authorities lodged an FIR against them.
The students have been booked under three IPC sections — 34, 341 and 504 — besides section 4 (penalty for ragging) of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999. They were taken to the Bhoiwada police station and will be produced before the Bhoiwada court on Monday.
The anti-ragging committee of the college, on Sunday morning, initiated a probe into the ragging charges made against their seniors by the first-year students of the physiotherapy department.
The 10-hour inquiry concluded that, “whatever was done can be labelled as ragging as per the provisions of the anti-ragging act”.
Confirming the development, dean of the college, Dr Sanjay Oak, said that, as per the Supreme Court guidelines, an FIR had been lodged with the Bhoiwada police station after the report. The 20-member anti-ragging committee comprised professors, head of departments, wardens, representatives of the students union, as well as police officials, he added.
A source said that the victims were dragged out of their hostel late on New Year’s Eve and were forced to stand in sexually explicit positions. They were threatened that they wouldn’t be allowed to take the exams if they refused. All the 10 victims and the 18 accused are male.
A high-level meeting, headed by mayor Shraddha Jadhav, was held at the institute on Sunday. “I have ordered the college to take strict action against the culprits so that such incidents do not recur. We will also ensure that the action taken does not ruin the careers of the culprits, who too are students,” Jadhav said.
The accused may be dismissed from the hostel, and more seriously, from the institution. Also, they might not get admission to any other college for five years. They may also be jailed for up to two years.
Comments