Incidents of ragging have been reported at the hostel of Nalgonda Medical College, reportedly due to a lack of supervision by college officials. According to a few students, senior students from Telangana have been ragging junior students from Kerala for the past few days.
Sources say that seniors are forcing the juniors to write their records. Unable to bear the ragging, they submitted a formal complaint to the principal on November 12.
The principal initiated an investigation, and with the assistance of the Anti-Ragging Committee and Nalgonda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the principal suspended medical students involved in the ragging incidents.
Additionally, an audio recording of seniors verbally harassing juniors in their hostel rooms has emerged, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
In the recording, the seniors can be heard shouting at the juniors, demanding respect and warning them of serious consequences if they do not comply. Despite them expressing the stress they are under, the seniors reportedly continued to rag them.
In the audio, one of the seniors is heard saying, “Jammu and Kashmir students are giving us respect; you are below us. Why are you not respecting us. We has previously been ragging three other batches also."
The situation escalated when junior students from Kerala sought help from senior medical students from Kerala, who were in their fourth year at the same college. The Kerala seniors intervened, urging the Telangana seniors to stop ragging students from their state.
However, the ragging continued, leading to a confrontation on November 11 between the Kerala students in their fourth year and those involved in the ragging.
The argument escalated into a physical altercation, as the Kerala students insisted that the ragging must stop.
Students have also raised concerns about the lack of anti-ragging awareness programmes at the college. Despite over a month passing since the beginning of the academic year, no such programme has been organised by the Anti-Ragging Committee.
Additionally, students allege that the college and hostel are located in separate areas, leading to inadequate supervision, which may have contributed to these incidents. Some students have also complained that the hostel security staff are often negligent in performing their duties.
Measures will be taken to prevent further such incidents: DME
The Director of Medical Education on Sunday, November 17, said that necessary action has been taken in the ragging incident.
Five students have been suspended, with suspension duration from one to six months, stated The New Indian Express report.
Appropriate measures will be taken to prevent further such incidents, she added
