Guwahati: As many as 18 students have been expelled from Dibrugarh University in Assam due to their alleged involvement in the Anand Sarma ragging case.
Anand Sarma, a first-semester MCom student at Dibrugarh University in Assam leaped from the second storey of a varsity hostel building in order to avoid ragging.
Anand Sarma allegedly suffered physical and mental torture at the hands of several fellow students at the Dibrugarh University dormitory in Assam.
Anand took the drastic action of jumping off the dormitory building to get away from the ragging since he was unable to endure the pain.
He is currently undergoing treatment at the Aditya Hospital in Dibrugarh in Assam and is stated to be stable.
The 18 students who were expelled from the Dibrugarh University in Assam “have been found to have been involved in ragging.”
Meanwhile, Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu has denounced the incident and stated that such actions will not be condoned.
“I strongly condemn the ragging incident in Dibrugarh University where a student has been hurt grievously. Asking Dibrugarh University authority and police to take strong action. We will not tolerate such activities,” said Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu.
The Assam education minister added: “I am also asking university authorities to be vigilant and take prompt action whenever any attempt of ragging is reported. Ex-students should not be allowed to stay in hostels.”
Meanwhile, police in Assam’s Dibrugarh district have detained three additional people and arrested one person in connection with the case.
The arrested individual has been identified as Niranjan Thakur.
“Complaint was filed by parents of Dibrugarh University student, Anand Sarma, pertaining to ragging by five people in a hostel there. Accused Niranjan Thakur was arrested while 3 others were detained. Condition of the injured victim is stable,” informed SP of Dibrugarh district in Assam.
Anand Sarma’s mother – Sarita Sarma filed a police report at the Dibrugarh police station accusing those responsible for ragging and torturing her son both physically and mentally.
The FIR alleges that the accused tried to rob Anand Sarma of his money, kill him, and steal his phone.
The FIR further claimed that the accused conspired to take inappropriate photos while under the influence of drink and marijuana.
The victim’s mother also accused other former classmates and senior Dibrugarh University students as defendants in the FIR.
The other accused named in the FIR are: Rahul Chetry (ex-student), Dibyajyoti Gogoi (3rd Semester, Dept of Applied Geology), Subrajyoti Baruah (3rd Sem, Dept of Pol Sc), Niranjan Thakur (3rd Sem, Centre for Physical Education), Kalyan Dutta (3rd Sem, Dept of History) and several others of PNGB hostel of Dibrugarh University in Assam.
A case was registered at the Dibrugarh police station in Assam under sections 120B/341/395/307/143 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the incident.
It is also known that Anand Sarma had been protesting to the university authorities about his difficulties as a result of student ragging.
He had submitted a written complaint to the warden of ‘C’ block of the Padma Nath Gohain Baruah Chatra Nivas (PNGBCN hostel) on November 17, mentioning names of 10 students.
