Mita Mukherjee

The executive council of Jadavpur University, its highest policy-making body has approved the university’s anti-ragging committee’s recommendation to permanently rusticate four students for their direct involvement in the ragging of a fresher who died on the night of August 9 last year following a fall from the balcony of the Main Hostel of the institution.

The report of the ant-ragging committee, which conducted the inquiry into the ragging incident, was placed before the executive council on Friday. According to the report the four students, who are now in jail, deserved permanent rustication as they were fully involved in the ragging.   

In its report, the ant-ragging panel has recommended rustication of five students for four semesters and permanent expulsion from the university hostel as they were directly associated with the conspiracy to rag.

Penal measures have been recommended for the staff members of the university’s Main Hostel where the deceased student was ragged.

The committee has suspended several other students for their involvement in incidents of junior students or suppressing facts, according to an official of the university.

“The executive council has accepted the recommendation and appropriate steps will be taken to punish all the students as recommended by the anti-ragging committee,” the official said.

The 17-year old student from Hanskhali in Nadia district, who joined the university to study Bengali honours had allegedly jumped from the second floor of the hostel building.

He was taken to a local hospital for treatment where he died the next morning. Several wounds were visible on his body.

The ragging of the fresher that resulted into his death had rocked the campus following sharp criticisms from several quarters, including students and guardians for the failure of the university to prevent ragging on the campus.

Despite strong demands from students, teachers and guardians, the university took nearly nine months to take the decision to punish the culprits due to an impasse prevailing at the university over appointment of vice-chancellor.

Bhaskar Gupta was appointed interim vice-chancellor early this month.

After taking charge, the new interim vice-chancellor had promised strict action against ragging.

 The progress of the probe by the anti-ragging panel was affected because the former vice-chancellor, Buddhadeb Sau was not attending office after he was removed by governor CV Ananda Bose.

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