Explaining the stringent provisions in the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Ragging Act of 1997, City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan on Friday said that educational institutions and senior students are equally responsible for incidents of ragging.
Mr.Viswanathan, along with Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Hema Karunagaran, was addressing heads of 52 educational institutions to sensitise them on the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Ragging Act of 1997 and the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Anti-ragging committees
Mr.Viswanathan exhorted the heads of educational institutions to form anti-ragging committees and ensure strict vigil in the campus. Failure to prevent ragging or to report the same to the police for initiating legal action would result in the long arm of the law catching up with the educational institutions as well, he said.
Commissioner said that failure to prevent, report or act on incidents of ragging will be deemed as abetment of an offence of ragging. Similarly, senior students who indulge in ragging will be dealt with severely.
Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prevention of Ragging Act will be invoked against the accused student as well as the head of the institution.
The law prescribed a rigorous imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs. 10,000. The accused students will be barred from gaining any admission in any college on completion of the sentence and literally the career of the student was at stake, officials said.
Mr.Viswanathan asked the teachers, management representative of institutions and students to report about ragging incidents to the police by dialling 100 for reaching the Police Control Room, sending SMS to 98431-00100 or by sending e-mail to copcbe@yahoo.com.
In extreme cases where no action was taken on information given earlier, the City Police Commissioner could be personally contacted at 94440-00029.
