Ten students of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) in Odisha's Burla have been debarred from appearing in any examination for one year for allegedly ragging their juniors.
The prestigious VSSUT has also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 each on 52 other students as per a decision taken by the disciplinary committee of the institute on Thursday night, the university said in a statement.
The authorities of the university swung into action after the state government on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident of ragging of junior students by seniors on the basis of a video that went viral on social media.
It is not known when those videos have been shot, but they show that over a hundred students of the third and fourth year of the varsity ragging as many as 50 students of the second year on a stage built inside the varsity premises during a welcome ceremony. Apart from that, several seniors were also seen disrespecting second-year students by tearing off their shirts and trousers while some juniors were also thrashed in the dining hall after the welcome ceremony.
The university said the vice-chancellor rushed to hostels with the deans, senior professors and wardens of the hostels after watching the video. The wardens identified ten students from the video.
In addition, all the accused students confessed that they had ragged the juniors, the release said, adding, the ten students have been debarred from appearing in any examination for one year.
"During the investigation, it was observed that 52 other boarders volunteered to be accused with the ten identified boarders. The committee decided to penalise all 52 with a fine of Rs 2,000 each with immediate effect," the release said. The video purportedly showed that junior students were made to dance by holding their ears. It also showed a junior student's shirt being ripped off by a senior.
The ragging took place at a function that was organised to welcome junior students. An act of ragging in VSSUT had also come to light in August last year and varsity authorities had initiated action against 20 students.
