The investigation into the alleged ragging of the first year B. Com student S. Gokulraj, revealed that final year B.Com student M. Alexander (21) of Ariyalur in Villupuram district, second year B.Sc. Mathematics students S. Boopathi (19) of Dharmapuri, S. Balaji (20) of Pappireddipatti, second year B.Sc. Computer Science student T. Ajithkumar (20) of Periya Krishnapuram in Ariyalur had ragged him for almost a week.
The Principal of Vysya College in Masanaickenpatti in Salem P. Venkatesan told The Hindu that the management had not received any complaints from the boy or from other students.
He said awareness programmes were conducted for all the students, including for first year students, who joined a month ago. The college has about 2,000 students, including 65 in the hostel.
Periyar University Vice-Chancellor C. Swaminathan said all the colleges were instructed to follow the UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging and the university never received any information from the college about the incident.
Parents of Gokulraj admitted him in Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore around 1.30 p.m. on Friday after moving him from the hospital in Ammapettai.
Surgery
The doctors had recommended a surgery, says the boy’s uncle B.S. Ravi.
He is in the emergency ward with casts on his legs as he had suffered multiple fractures.
The boy on securing admission joined the college and hostel on June 16. At the hostel, his seniors had ragged him from day one, Mr. Ravi says.
“They had first forced him to consume liquor and Gokulraj brought this to our knowledge,” says his father V. Sivalingam.
His parents tried to console him and had said things would become better in the coming days.
Thereafter the boy called them almost everyday but never spoke of ragging or harassment or gave away any signs that he was depressed.
(Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline can be reached at 044-24640050 and the State helpline at 104).
