Two final-year Kirori Mal College students were expelled from college and arrested on Monday after a first-year student lodged a complaint of ragging against them.
The suspects, Akshay Chaudhary and Hani Mohammad, were expelled by the college’s disciplinary and anti-ragging committee earlier in the day.
According to information, the college also rusticated a third student who reportedly sent the junior to the seniors’ room.
Ashutosh, a first year BSc (Physical Science) student, complained on Sunday evening that he was harassed by Chaudhary and Mohammad, seniors in the same department.
On Monday, college principal Bhim Sen Singh said, “We have decided to expel both students for physically, sexually and mentally harassing a junior student.”
The decision came after an emergency meeting of the college’s disciplinary and anti-ragging committee — neither the complainant nor the two seniors appeared before the committee. Principal Singh said Ashutosh was still recovering from the mental trauma and was thus excused.
While the expelled students blamed the authorities for expelling them without hearing their version, Singh said, “We have to listen to the ragged, not the raggers. We are only performing our duties here — it is the Supreme Courts’ directive that an FIR be lodged when a ragging-related complaint is lodged.”
Mohammed said: “No one told us to appear before the anti-ragging committee. This decision (to expel him and Chaudhary) will influence our careers considerably (but) has been taken without taking our views into consideration.”
The other accused, Akshay Chaudhary, claimed he had not even spoken to Ashutosh, who had come to the room he shared with Mohammad. “Hani asked him about his whereabouts and offered to help when he said his English was below par. There was another first year student in the room who enquired about ragging in the college,” Chaudhary said.
Mohammad said, “I explained (to the freshers) that intensity of ragging had gone down over the years and a popular punishment in the past years was to clear off your smile by moving your finger over the lips. I asked Ashutosh to do the same but he refused.
“He left soon after, but I later received a call from one of his relative accusing me of ragging him.”
Principal Singh said Ashutosh had been shifted out of the hostel and has been housed at a relative’s house. “I spoke to him on phone. The boy is going through a period of emotional turbulence and will need time to recuperate,” he said.
Several college students, meanwhile, said the accused should have been given an opportunity to present their case. Not willing to give his name, a third year student said, “It is a decision that would damage their career prospects in a serious manner. They may have been guilty but they deserved a fair hearing from the authorities.”
Charges under IPC Sections 294, 323, 342 and 355 have been registered against Chaudhary and Mohammad.
–Agencies