Several stringent measures, including barring students involved in ragging from pursuing studies, were being initiated to make Andhra Pradesh ragging-free, HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao informed the Assembly on Wednesday.
Intervening during Question Hour on the suicide committed by M. Rishiteswari, a first year architecture student of Acharya Nagarjuna University, he said that the committee appointed by the Government to inquire into the incident had made some suggestions, including constitution of a fast track court for expeditious trial of the incident, starting a toll-fee number and introduction of bio-metric system.
He assured people of invoking Nirbhaya Act in addition to anti-Ragging Act and said that Government would not hesitate to take stringent action to curb the menace. It would be dealt with an iron hand, he added.
He urged the Opposition YSR Congress members not to politicise Rishiteswari incident after K. Roja (YSRCP) lashed out at the Government and charged it with trying to protect the principal of the college.
Replying to the main question, Deputy Chief Minister (Home) China Rajappa said that based on the suicide note of the Rishiteswari and deposition of witnesses, a prima facie case of ragging leading to suicide was established against three persons — a second year architecture and planning student, Dumpa Haneesh, Dharavat Jaicharan (fourth year student) and Narala Srinivas (also fourth year student). All the accused were arrested on July 16 and sent for judicial remand.
Earlier, Ms. Roja charged the principal with being responsible for the suicide. Alleging that attacks on women increased after TDP came to power, she faulted the ministers for not having visited the university immediately after the incident. U. Kalpana (YSRCP), Vishnukumar Raju (BJP), Anita and D. Narendra (both TDP) also spoke.
Speaker, Kodela Siva Prasad Rao expressed his anguish over the incident and asked the Government to ensure that caste-based bodies and anti-socials were rooted out from that university.
