Kerala nursing college ragging case: Principal, assistant professor suspended in Kottayam

KOTTAYAM: The principal and an assistant professor of the Government College of Nursing, Kottayam have been suspended in connection with the case of brutal ragging incident in a students' hostel that triggered widespread public outcry in the state.

The principal Sulekha AT, and assistant professor/assistant warden-in-charge of the students hostel Ajeesh P Mani of the college were suspended pending enquiry for allegedly failing to check ragging and effectively intervene in the matter, a statement issued by the Health Minister's office Friday late night said.

The housekeeper-cum-security of the hostel was also ordered to be removed immediately, it said. The action has been taken following an inquiry conducted by the Director of Medical Education as per the instructions of Health Minister Veena George, the statement added.

The disturbing visuals of the brutal ragging of a junior student at the college surfaced on Thursday, showing the victim being tied to a cot and repeatedly pierced with a compass .

According to the footage obtained by the Gandhinagar police, the victim was stripped half-naked and subjected to horrifying acts, including having dumbbells placed on his private parts after being tied to a cot and having facial cream poured into his mouth. The abuse took place in the boys' hostel, targeting first-year nursing students.

Five third-year students Samuel Johnson (20), Rahul Raj (22), Jeev (18), Rijil Jith (20) and Vivek (21) were arrested in the case. They were arrested after a case was registered under the Prohibition of Ragging Act, following a complaint that ragging had been ongoing for nearly three months at the nursing college, which operates under the Government Medical College.

The arrested students are currently in district jail after being remanded by a court. The Congress-led opposition UDF on Friday claimed that the accused in the Kottayam Government Nursing College ragging case have connections with the Left student organisation, SFI .