Jadavpur University report confirms ragging, fails to conclude how 1st year student died

Jadavpur university’s internal probe committee set up after a first-year student allegedly jumped to death from the university’s hostel last month has failed to conclude in its report whether the victim died by suicide or was pushed by someone or whether the death was an accident.

Meanwhile, universities in West Bengal have started reconstituting their anti-ragging committees and put in place anti-ragging measures after the student’s death in JU, the state’s top raking university.

“The internal probe committee (of the university) has submitted its report. The report has been placed with the anti-ragging squad. We are expecting the squad’s report within the next 15 days. Once the anti-ragging squad send its review, it would be sent to the anti-ragging committee,” said Buddhadeb Sau, interim vice-chancellor of JU.

The first-year student allegedly jumped from the second floor of the hostel on the night of August 9 after he was severely ragged and sexually harassed by a section of seniors and former students who were staying in the hostel illegally. He died on August 10.

“The report has suggested that the student was severely ragged in multiple rooms in the main hostel that night. He was also seen running down the corridor in a naked condition. The report, however, has failed to conclude whether he jumped to death, (was) pushed from the balcony or it was an accident,” a professor, who has seen the report, said.

The report also mentioned that even though other freshers were allowed to leave after some time, the victim was singled out as he had initially refused to carry out some orders during the ragging sessions.

“The student was seen in the dining hall around 8:30 pm. (Hostel) Inmates have recounted that he was crying and told the that he was being tortured, seniors were consuming alcohol in his room and that he was scared. The report stated that he was stripped and sexually harassed in room 104. Several inmates had heard cries, and screams from the second floor,” the professor said.

Police have registered a murder case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s father and have arrested 12 former and current students. They are in judicial custody at present.

The internal probe committee recommended expelling four university students. It also recommended that five students be suspended for four semesters, 11 students for two semesters and 15 students for one semester.

Also Read: Jadavpur ragging case: Police move court, eye Pocso charges

Following the incident, JU authorities shifted first-year students to a separate hostel while work is on to install CCTV cameras at the university gates. A few other universities, such as the North Bengal University and Visva Bharati (VB), the state’s only central university, have also reconstituted their anti-ragging committees.

“On September 13, the university’s anti-ragging committee has been reconstituted. The committee has 11 members and 21 members and invitees,” said a professor of VB.

Some university’s such as Burdwan University have ordered former students who were overstaying in the hostels to immediately leave the premises.

A week after the death of a first-year student in JU, the state government set up a fact-finding committee to look into the administrative lapses and infrastructure gaps in the university.

West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose, too set up a separate high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Karnataka high court Subhro Kamal Mukherjee to look into the issue and come up with suggestions on how to end ragging and violence in campuses. Both reports are yet to be submitted.