The Hindu : National : Student attempts suicide after alleged ragging

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Student attempts suicide after alleged ragging

Ramesh Susarla

GUNTUR: Alleged ragging by seniors in the College of Agricultural Engineering hostel at Bapatla in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh forced a girl student, hailing from Srikakulam, to attempt suicide, but timely medical intervention saved her life.

The daughter of a veterinary compounder at Srikakulam, she consumed a chemical on February 27 afternoon. When her condition worsened while being treated in Bapatla, she was shifted to a private hospital here that night and tracheotomy was performed to enable her to breathe.

Regional difference

She went into a virtual coma, was put on mechanical ventilator, and gained consciousness on March 12 afternoon. She told family members in writing that five seniors had made her life miserable, ragging her and nine others in the hostel room. Family members alleged that this was mainly because of a regional difference in her Telugu accent and they wished to discontinue her studies.

No ragging, says Principal

College Principal P.V. Satyanarayana told The Hindu that there was no ragging in the hostel and that all 26 girl students of the college, along with those of Food Science and Technology College students staying in the common hostel, were friendly.

Warden Susheela also refuted charges in the press that the attempted suicide was a result of ragging. Except for the Principal, none of her hostel mates, however, came to Guntur to find out about her condition.

The girl’s paternal uncle told The Hindu that she used to complain about ragging in the hostel, but gave them the impression that she could manage it. But on February 24 and 25, on her return from Srikakulam to take admission into the second semester, she did not talk much about the ragging. But every time they brought up the issue, she stopped them saying ‘madams,’ as the seniors are referred to in the hostel, were around.

On earlier occasions, she complained that she was made to stand on one foot inside a water-filled bucket and dance in an obscene manner.

Another form of ragging was measuring a room’s length and width with a matchstick.

Bapatla Deputy Superintendent of Police said he had received only an oral complaint from her father and unless a written complaint was made they would not ‘suo motu’ take the girl’s statement.

Case lodged

A case of attempted suicide was, however, lodged against her under Section 309 on February following a complaint from the warden.

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