Delhiites reacted with shock to news that a student received burn injuries when seniors sprayed deodorant on him and then lit a match.
NEW DELHI: While Delhiites reacted with shock Friday to news that a student received burn injuries when seniors sprayed deodorant on him and then lit a match, the principal of the elite St Stephen's College said it was not a case of ragging and there was no question of informing the police.
"Clearly, frankly and honestly it is not a case of ragging. We have not gone to the police and will not inform them in future," Valson Thampu said firmly.
"I know the Supreme Court direction on ragging but in the language of the boys it's a trick. The boys were punished not for ragging but for violating residential (hostel) rules," Thampu said.
"The punishment given to the students is adequate. Me, my faculties and even the victim has already said this," he added.
Referring to the inebriated state of the senior students involved in the "trick", Thampu said: "They were drunk and have violated the hostel rules."
Though it has come to light only now, the shocking incident took place on the night of Sep 27, when first year student Debayan Chakraborty approached four second-year students for help in filling a form.
However, rather than assisting him, the seniors, who were reportedly drunk, allegedly sprayed "deodorant or perfume" on his knee and hand and threw a lit matchstick on him.
While Chakraborty is back home in Kolkata, three of the other students have been suspended from the college hostel -- or residence as it is known -- for a year. The fourth has been suspended from classes for a month because he was not staying in the hostel.
The Supreme Court had earlier this year had come down heavily on ragging and warned educational institutions that any failure or negligence in lodging a police complaint would be construed as negligence on their part.
However, police said they couldn't initiate any action unless the college or the victim files a formal complaint with us.
"We have not received any complaint so far. But we will definitely consider action if either of the parties approach us," Additional Deputy Commissioner Of Police Atul Katiyar said.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) also says that they have not received any report from the college administration.
"We have not sent any notice to St. Stephens so far nor have they sent us any report on the matter," said Diksha Rajput, an information officer working with the UGC chairperson said.
But R. Prasad, member of the Raghavan Committee headed by former CBI director RK Raghavan to probe ragging incidents, does not agree.
He told reporters that the offence is more serious than what has been portrayed so far.
"It's a serious offence and students involved in the ragging incident need to be handed harsher punishment," Prasad said.
Thampu thought differently: "They are doing their job and I am doing mine. I know the reality and my college better than others."
The Raghavan committee recommended among other things that parents could file a police case and it would be taken as a cognisable offence if they were not satisfied with the response of the college.
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