Three days after the suicide of a teen trainee, allegedly due to ragging, citizens staged a mammoth morcha at the Collectorate, demanding implementation of the Supreme Court order on the Vishaka Committee, strict action against the accused and compensation to the victim’s family. Girls and women in large numbers participated in the morcha.
It may be recalled that an extremely brilliant scholar and trainee, Pranali Pradeep Rahane (19), committed suicide allegedly due to ragging and harassment at the hands of her colleagues in a multinational company, Bosch, in Nashik. The suicide attempt occurred on September 1 and the victim died on the morning of September 3.
The police arrested ten of her colleagues who were named in her suicide note. The police custody of the accused, including the four women, will end on Saturday.
The morcha led by Maharashtra Pradesh Bara Balutedar Mahasangh, with people participating from various parties and communities began from the BD Bhalekar School grounds in the morning and concluded at the collector’s office, where a memorandum was given to the collector.
Rahane was working as a trainee turner since the last three years at Bosch, earlier known as Motor Industries Company or MICO, which manufactures auto equipment. She had stood first in the Computer Society of India National Competition and also topped the Bosch mathematical competition.
Her suicide note stated the names of ten persons who she held responsible for her death.
HRD manager, Bosch, Mohan Patil stated that the company had already constituted the committee in 2010. “We had conducted an awareness drive and published posters. It was headed by Shaila Band of Bosch and has five other members,” he said. However, labour lawyer and CITU leader Vasudha Karad told this newspaper that Bosch has “vicarious culpability” in the suicide case