- विज्ञापन -
Kottayam: Five third-year students from the state-run School of Nursing in Kottayam were arrested on Wednesday morning for allegedly ragging first-year students.
The arrested individuals are identified as Rahul Raj, NS Jeeva, NP Vivek, Rigil Jeeth, and Samuel Johnson. The arrests followed complaints from first-year students who reported severe mistreatment.
According to the complainants, they were forced to stand naked, had their pictures taken, and were marked with sharp objects by the seniors. Additionally, the upperclassmen reportedly extorted money from the freshers to purchase alcohol.
As the harassment escalated, the first-year students chose to file a formal complaint.
Natakom Suresh, President of the Kottayam district Congress Committee, emphasized the need for thorough police action, questioning the college authorities’ inaction over the past few months. He warned that if the police do not handle the matter properly, they would escalate the issue.
K. Anil Kumar, a prominent CPI-M leader from Kottayam, affirmed that the police have taken appropriate action against the offenders and will pursue further investigations.
This incident comes shortly after a Kerala High Court division bench stayed a previous order that allowed the re-admission of 18 students from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, who were implicated in the suicide of junior student J. S. Sidharthan. On February 6, the bench stated that “students indulging in ragging are worse than those engaged in vandalism.” Sidharthan’s body was discovered in a hostel toilet on February 18, 2024, with allegations suggesting he took his own life.
