The Deben Mahata Government Medical College and Hospital in Purulia district, West Bengal, suspended two students for two years due to their involvement in a ragging incident against a first-year student. The two accused students will also be barred from staying in the college hostel. The victim’s parents expressed satisfaction with the college’s decision, which was made public on Saturday.
On February 1, Mehboob Islam, a first-year medical student, was reportedly ragged in his hostel room by second-year student Rishabh Singh and fourth-year student Ayan Bagchi. Allegedly, at the direction of these seniors, other students also physically assaulted Mehboob, necessitating medical treatment.
Following the incident, Mehboob’s family journeyed from Domkal in Murshidabad district to Purulia and lodged a written complaint with the college authorities. They even threatened legal action if strict measures were not taken against the accused students. The college authorities, upon investigation and confirmation of ragging, took disciplinary action against the two students.
College principal Sabyasachi Das met with the victim’s family on Saturday to discuss the situation and subsequently announced the punishment for the accused students. Das, citing health reasons for the delay, mentioned that steps were being taken to prevent future incidents, including the establishment of a helpline and increased CCTV surveillance.
Molina Khatun, the victim’s mother, stated that initially, their complaint was not taken seriously, but under pressure, the college authorities acceded to their demands. She expressed contentment with the disciplinary actions taken against the accused students.
