HYDERABAD: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Friday said the campaign to check ragging undertaken by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology (MGIT) management was not `adequate'.

Commission's Secretary S. Chellappa visited MGIT at Gandipet after parents of a first year student S.P. Manoj, who committed suicide on Thursday in his hostel room at Langer Houz, raised suspicions of ragging leading to their son's death.

"Except pasting a couple of posters supplied by local Narsingi police on college premises, a vigorous campaign against ragging was not taken up," he said. Two ragging cases were reported in the college this year, he observed. College director Linga Reddy told Mr. Chellappa that students responsible for the two incidents were suspended for a week. A fine of Rs. 1,000 was also imposed on the guilty.

The SHRC launched an inquiry suo motu into Manoj's death after going through media reports.

Mr. Chellappa recorded depositions of Mr. Reddy and a staffer, Barnaban. He directed the management of the private hostel, where Manoj committed suicide, to produce the inmates before the Commission on Saturday.

The Commission would also speak to victim's father S.P. George Varaprasad to ascertain details. Meanwhile, victim's father reiterated his doubts that ragging claimed his son's life. "I cannot produce concrete evidence. But my son used to complain about ragging whenever I rang him up," said a dejected Varaprasad.

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