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Kerala Nursing College Ragging Incident: Five Students Arrested for Severe Abuse
At a most horrendous case, five third-year-year students of the Government Nursing College, Kottayam, Kerala have been apprehended for conducting ruthless ragging against first-year students, which included both physical and mental cruelty. The victims, all hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, endured this abuse over a span of nearly three months, beginning in November 2024.
Allegations of Severe Abuse
As per the complaint registered in Kottayam Gandhinagar police, the seniors compelled the juniors to face naked and allow hanging of weightlifting dumbbells with their internal private areas. Victims were also stabbed and severely beaten with geometry box compasses. In order to make them suffer more, lotion was spread over their wounds, and even in the cases of have them swallow the lotion by some means. Accused of such behaviors, seniors reportedly made recordings of these acts and threatened the juniors with very severe repercussions, such as harming their chances of academic success, if they did report the abuse.
Extortion and Coercion
Apart from physical abuse, the elderyas allegedly collected money from the junior members every Sunday for buying liquor. Those who refused to comply faced further beatings. The relentless harassment led one student to confide in his father, who then encouraged him to approach the police.
Legal Actions Taken
Rahul Raj, N.S. Jeeva, N.P. Vivek, Rigil Jeeth, and Samuel Johnson. They have been accused under Sections 118(1), 308(2) and 351(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3 and 4 of Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act. The students apprehended have been asked to enroll in a disciplinary action processing to be produced before a magistrate upheld by the college.
Broader Context of Ragging in Kerala
This incident is an example of a disturbing occurrence of ragging cases in Kerala. Recently, a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kochi died by suicide, with his mother alleging that relentless ragging at school drove him to take his own life. These consecutive events highlight the critical need for all higher educational institutions to adopt effective anti-ragging strategies and create an environment of safety for all students.
Conclusion
The dreadful happenings at the Government Nursing College, Kottayam clearly show the continuing problem of ragging in colleges and universities. Authorities and educational institutions must strictly implement anti-ragging measures and thereby provide a safe and secure atmosphere for students.