A video footage showing an unidentified student being brutally ragged and tortured at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, surfaced on the Internet on Wednesday.
The footage, which has since gone viral, shows the victim being made to strip to his underwear and lie on a bed while others make fun of him.
The 12.53-second footage shows a group of other students tying the victim, spraying powder, making him pole dance in his underwear and even attaching a clip on his private parts.
Sources said that the incident had taken place in one of the hostels on the NIT campus in March this year. Kazipet police officials had apparently seen the video as early as April on the cell phone of a Third Year NIT B.Tech student, who was being interrogated for his suspected involvement in a ganja smuggling case.
Acknowledging that the students belong to his institute, NIT Warangal director Professor T. Srinivas Rao said, “But this incident happened in March during a job treat party. We have punished the group by imposing a fine of `10,000, made them do community work for 50 hours on the campus, put some of their placement offers in abeyance and informed their parents,” he said.
Police sources, however, pointed out that NIT authorities had not lodged any complaints when the incident had come to light in March. “Our seniors instructed us not to go ahead with registering a case as it was an old clipping. Nobody from NIT approached us,” said Kazipet circle inspector P. Vijaya Saradhi.
Sources said that the inhuman treatment portrayed in the clip attracts provisions of the Prohibition of Ragging in Educational Institution Act 26 of 1997.
Dean refuses to name students involved
Legal experts point out that the police has the power to register a suo motu case against unidentified students, whose faces are clearly visible in the footage who are involved in the ragging and torture of students at NIT, Warangal.
“All T-agitation cases are being registered suo motu, then why are the Kazipet cops restraining themselves in this case?” said Mohd S.K. Nabi, secretary, Warangal district bar association.
On Thursday, a banner at the front gate of NIT Warangal proclaimed in bold letters that teasing, embarrassing, humiliation attracted 6-month imprisonment and Rs1,000 fine while wrongfully restraining/confining attracted two years jail and Rs5,000 fine.
When asked about the students involved, Prof. N.V. Uma Mahesh, Dean, Student Affairs, who is one of the four NIT professors identified for prevention of ragging on campus, refused to disclose their names. “We have to take permission from parents before disclosing their names,” he said.
Meanwhile, an uncomfortable silence prevailed at NIT on Thursday with seniors refusing to admit the incident as “ragging”.
In August last, more than 30 first year Nepali students had been ragged by around 70 senior Nepali students soon after they joined. Their plight came to light when the juniors dropped anonymous letters in the hostel’s complaint box. Authorities, however, refused to divulge what action was taken against the perpetrators.
“I recently took over the job of the Dean, Student Affairs. I will have to find out details about the incident involving the Nepali students,” said Prof. Uma Mahesh.