In a suspected case of ragging, a 19-year-old nursing student of Al Qamar College of Nursing in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, who belongs to Edappal, Malappuram district, has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode with serious internal injury. The college is run by a Trust headed by former Minister Qamarul Islam.
K.P. Ashwathy was allegedly forced to drink toilet cleaner by a group of eight senior students, mostly from Kerala, at the college hostel on May 9. She soon developed stomach ailment and was admitted to a hospital in Kalaburagi. Since her condition did not improve after five days, she was sent home by the college authorities accompanied by another student. She was first admitted to a hospital in Edappal, from where she was shifted to the Government Medical College in Thrissur. After two days, she was again shifted to the medical college in Kozhikode. The incident came to light on Tuesday when K.P. Mohammed Shafi, an advocate, visited Ashwathy in the hospital and alerted the media.
Poor family
The girl is from a poor family and her father had abandoned her and her mother at a very young age. Mr. Shafi said the family had no idea about the seriousness of the issue and hence had not approached the police. He also said he was not permitted by the hospital authorities to meet the girl to provide legal advice.
Ashwathy’s uncle Bhaskaran said the student, a Dalit, was being harassed by the seniors since the day of her admission five months ago. A complaint, in the victim’s own handwriting, had been forwarded to the Director General of Police, Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Kerala, Ministers K.T. Jaleel and A.K. Balan, besides the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Shafi said.
A hospital source said the girl’s condition was stable. “She is unable to swallow liquid and solid food due to oesophageal stricture [food pipe block] caused by corrosive ingestion. We are planning an endoscopic surgery later,” the source said.
The Superintendent of Police, Kozhikode, has spoken to his counterpart in Kalaburagi, N. Shashikumar, and is sending the First Information Report registered in Kozhikode through a special messenger.
A team of senior police officials led by Mr. Shashikumar and Additional Superintendent of Police Jayaprakash began investigations by recording the statements of the college principal, the hostel warden and the administrative officer.
Mr. Shashikumar said a senior officer would be appointed as the investigating officer after the case is transferred to Kalaburagi. Along with other senior officials, he visited the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital to check records on the treatment provided to the victim and the statement she made to the police.
Principal denies ragging
The college principal, Esther, in a statement denied that Ashwathy was ragged. She claimed that the student came to her complaining of severe stomach pain and had said she consumed toilet cleaner “due to some family problem.” The college authorities shifted her to the Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital on May 9 and she was discharged after four days of treatment. They claimed that the girl’s family was informed but no one came. Ms. Esther said the victim was kept under observation in the hostel for three days and sent back to her native place. She also told police that the incident took place when the college was on vacation. Ashwathy had returned to the hostel before the vacation ended.
A medico-legal case has been registered in Kalaburagi. The hospital claims that Ashwathy was discharged against medical advice on May 11.
