The internal probe carried out by the Kolkata’s Jadavpur University into the death of a fresher who was allegedly ragged reveals horrific details.
The first-year student of the University was allegedly ragged and sexually abused before he jumped to his death in the hostel on August 9.
The probe reveals fresher ran frantically from one room to another in a completely naked state trying to hide from his tormentors, HT reported.
The report quoting the report said the seven-member committee has also said that first-year students were often forced to shout sexist remarks and make lewd gestures towards the women that lived in the police quarters that are adjacent to the hostel, and after one such episode, the 17-year-old victim had broken down.
The report quoting the probe report said: “one of the boarders heard a loud cry at around 11.30pm on August 9 and rushed to the second floor corridor, and saw the victim completely naked, desperately trying to enter a toilet, and then rushing into room no. 65.”
“Even as the victim tried to close the door of the room, Md Arif and other seniors pushed open the door, and pulled him out. Thereafter, he was reportedly offered a bottle of water, which he gulped a bit, and then threw the bottle at Arif. All this while the victim was standing stark naked in front of many seniors on the 2nd floor’s well-lit lobby, facing utter humiliation,” the report said.
“Information regarding the victim’s movements, just prior to his fatal fall... Many have reported to have seen him run towards the end of the corridor with Md Arif following him, but thereafter, the depositors seem to have lost sight of the ‘final fall...,” the report said.
The report said “the victim’s ‘easy and smiling demeanour’ was replaced by ‘rather tense and jittery body language’ by August 8 when he came to attend the orientation programme. He left midway from the programme without collecting his food packet, accosted by two hostel seniors.”
The report said: “every night, first-year students that came to live in the hostel were forced to shout sexist remarks and lewd abuse targeting women who lived in the police quarters adjacent to the hostel. The victim was initially reluctant to do this but was forced to multiple times. After one such time, one person that deposed said, the victim burst into tears, complained of stomach pain, and was given an antacid.”
“Around 8.20pm, he was seen in the dining room profusely sweating. He is learnt to have told an inmate that he was very scared as seniors were drinking alcohol in the room. The next session of ragging started around 9pm in room 104,” the report quoted a committee member as having said.
