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In another case of ragging from Kerala, Kannur’s Kolavallur PR Memorial School in Kerala has suspended five senior students who are accused of beating up a Class 11 student. The assault on February 12 has created widespread outrage, pointing towards the persistent problem of ragging in Kerala’s schools and universities.
The five Class 12 students attacked Muhammed Nihal, a Plus One student, in the canteen of the school for not being respectful enough, as per the police. The students beat up Nihal physically, fracturing his arm and inflicting other serious injuries. Nihal was taken to Thalassery Cooperative Hospital for treatment immediately after the attack.
The police have filed an FIR under various sections, such as unlawful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, and rioting armed with a deadly weapon. Three of the accused have been arrested, while two are still on the run. The police have informed us that further charges under the Kerala Anti-Ragging Act will be filed once the school provides its official report on the incident.
The school principal has assured that the accused students have been suspended and an internal investigation is in progress. The anti-ragging committee watched CCTV footage of the school canteen, which is likely to serve as additional evidence for the police probe. The school has pledged to offer complete cooperation to the authorities in the ongoing investigation.
This comes close on the heels of a similar, shocking case in Kottayam this week, when five senior students of a government nursing college were arrested for ragging juniors physically and mentally. The ruthless treatment, which involved forced physical assault and extortion, was videotaped and gone viral, drawing widespread outrage.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George assured strong action by stating that Kottayam accused students would be expelled and the authorities will investigate why the hostel staff missed such abuse. Congress leader V. D. Satheesan has also expressed concern about the role of student organizations in such cases and demanded a revisit of organizations like the Student Federation of India (SFI) that have had connections with both sets of accused.
These back-to-back incidents have ignited a larger conversation about the persistent issue of ragging in educational institutions, despite the presence of strict anti-ragging laws.
