Ragging At GMC Haldwani: 3 MBBS students expelled for 6 months, fined Rs 25,000

Nainital: In yet another ragging incident reported from Government Medical College, Haldwani, three senior MBBS students of 2021 batch have been expelled from the college for 6 months and fined Rs 25,000 after reports of alleged ragging on junior students came to the fore.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the anti-ragging committee had taken action against the seniors after a report of alleged ragging on juniors reached the ears of the principal.

A meeting was held recently in which the committee found the three accused students guilty and expelled them for different time periods. While the main accused was debarred from the hostel and all academic activities for six months, the other two boys, who were "not fully involved", were debarred for one month and a fine of Rs 25,000 has been also imposed on them.

Also read- Ragging At Haldwani Medical College: Why No FIR? HC Asks Institute

The atmosphere at the medical college was chaotic on Saturday when these three senior students allegedly began ragging the juniors for coming late to the mess hall.

The incident came to light after the security staff reported the matter to the college principal. Taking note of the matter, the principal filed a complaint after cross-checking the CCTV footage and as a result, the committee handled the case punishing the accused.

On March 25, the security staff witnessed an uproar in the main hall of the campus where three seniors were allegedly trying to intimidate some first-year students, "educating them about the do's and don'ts of the mess hall", where they were having tea.

According to a media report in TOI, the seniors bullied the juniors after the first-year students entered the mess late due to a delayed seminar in the lecture hall. 

One of the juniors fainted at the scene from panic after the main accused senior allegedly grabbed a junior by the shoulder. Following this, the security staff observing the actions reported to the principal.

Commenting on this, Principal Arun Joshi said "We have zero tolerance for such activities. If students continue with such activities, we'll come up with harsher punishments. The government is very strict on this and the court, too, is also serious with directions that such behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court hearing the PIL filed based on a report published in the ‘Times of India’ on 06.03.2022 highlighting the ragging of several 1st year MBBS students, studying at Sushila Tiwari Government Medical College, Haldwani stated that in cases of ragging, principals, head of institutions and colleges will be held liable.

The petitioner urged the court to take necessary and permanent measures to prohibit ragging through out the Higher Educational Institutions (imparting education of graduation, post graduation and professional courses) so that barbaric type rapping does not occur in future in any higher educational institution of the State, Live law reports.

The Court underlined that in each institution, an Anti-Ragging Committee should be constituted which is to be headed by the head of the institution and consists of representatives of civil and police administration, local media, NGOs involved in youth activities, representatives of faculty members, parents and students belonging to the freshers’ category, as well as senior students, non-teaching staff.

This is the fourth case of ragging in the medical college within a year. Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported all the ragging incidents that took place within the college.

In one instance, 44 medical students belonging to the institute were facing action for ragging their juniors. While one student was expelled from the hostel and the authorities imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, the other 43 students were slapped with a fine of Rs 25,000 each.

Also read- 44 MBBS Students From GMC Haldwani Fined Rs 11 Lakh For Ragging Juniors