A committee established by Jadavpur University to investigate reports of ragging on campus has uncovered distressing incidents involving first-year students residing in the boys’ hostel. These students were reportedly subjected to acts such as rubbing their faces against walls and being made to perch atop almirahs for extended periods.
The formation of this committee followed the tragic death of an undergraduate student on August 10, believed to be linked to ragging.
According to the committee’s findings, the new students, commonly referred to as ‘bachcha’ (kids), were coerced into undressing to their undergarments and forced to engage in various activities, including standing on top of almirahs, rubbing their faces against walls, performing ‘frog-jumps,’ and crawling beneath cots.
Additionally, the freshmen were compelled to undertake tasks such as washing their seniors’ clothes, completing assignments for them, and running errands, which sometimes involved purchasing alcohol, cigarettes, and food from nearby markets during late hours.
Furthermore, the report stated that the first-year students were pressured into using derogatory language towards female residents of the adjacent police quarters. Refusal to comply with these demands often resulted in physical punishment.
The tragic incident involving the first-year student who fell from the hostel balcony was not an isolated occurrence, according to the report, but rather part of an ongoing pattern of behavior.
The committee’s investigation revealed that after the incident, a group of students washed the accident site with water, following instructions from one of the seniors. However, details regarding the events leading up to the fatal fall remain unclear, as witnesses provided no definitive account of the incident’s cause and sequence.
The committee has alleged that the victim was specifically targeted for severe, premeditated ragging, which may have included sexual abuse.
Thirteen individuals, all either current or former students, have been arrested in connection with this case.
Also read: Calcutta HC says Jadavpur University hostels to be vacated within 24 hours after final exams