Alleged Ragging at TN Medical College: 4 MBBS Students Suspended, 2 Wardens resign after medico attempts suicide

Taking stringent action, the college authority has suspended four third-year MBBS students who were allegedly involved in the ragging incident from attending classes. Apart from this, two hostel wardens have also been relieved of their duty as the college found dereliction of duty on their parts and also opined that the warden failed to protect the student from being ragged.

However, parents and students have expressed resentment over the suspension of the accused who had brutally ragged the second-year student, adds IANS.

The second year MBBS student was found in an unconscious state on Sunday at the hostel room and fellow students took him to the hospital where he is recouping.

Also Read: NMC Regulations spell out Disciplinary Action for Ragging in Medical Colleges

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, the fellow students were checking on him after they were alerted by his WhatsApp status. The daily further adds that the second-year medico, hailing from Namakkal, was admitted to the hospital with injuries. He was allegedly stripped and beaten up by his seniors. A week later he was discharged, he attempted to end his life on Sunday in his room.

The 19-year-old male student who attempted suicide has, however, come out of the critical situation and his parents have taken him to his native place, Rasipuram in Namakkal district, adds IANS.

However, The Hindu adds that the college administration was accused of hushing up the student's abuse last week, which allegedly led to the situation where the student tried to end his life.

Police, according to information available, had commenced investigation on the reason behind the suicide attempt and whether ragging was the reason behind it.

Although the teen had lodged a formal complaint against the four third-year students for ragging him, he withdrew it later.

Dean of Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital, Dr. Amudhavallli while speaking to IANS had earlier said, "The boy is a native of Rasipuram in Namakkal district and had lodged a complaint a few weeks before that he was subjected to ragging. We had notified his parents and had commenced an investigation, but later he withdrew the complaint."

Recently, taking action against the four medicos who were allegedly involved in the ragging incident, the college has suspended them from taking classes and has also relieved two warden of duty citing dereliction of duty and failure to protect the student from being ragged.

However, expressing resentment over the suspension of the accused students, the parents have cited the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act 1997 that provided punishment not only to the offenders but also to the college authorities who failed to take action against those involved in ragging.

Senthilnathan, a parent of a second-year MBBS student at the Madras Government Medical college told IANS: "Ragging is a punishable act with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to two years and shall be liable to a fine which may extend to Rs 10,000 under Section 4 of the Act. Then why is the Dharmapuri Medical College authorities not raising a proper complaint and make the offenders pay for the deed?"

Also Read: NMC specifies its role in Preventing Ragging at medical colleges