12 BDS students booked for ragging at Osmania Medical College hostel
Synopsis
Twelve final-year BDS students at Government Dental College, Hyderabad, have been booked for allegedly ragging their juniors at the Osmania Medical College hostel. Six have been suspended for six months — a reminder that ragging persists in professional institutions despite a law on the books since 1997 that can end a student's academic career permanently.
Key Takeaways
12 final-year BDS students of Government Dental College, Hyderabad booked for ragging juniors at Osmania Medical College hostel.
Case registered at Sultan Bazar Police Station under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act on a complaint by principal Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav .
6 of the accused students suspended for 6 months pending inquiry for alleged physical and mental harassment.
Police counselled those involved and are investigating whether more students participated.
Conviction under the Act can lead to permanent expulsion and a ragging notation embossed on academic certificates.
Hyderabad Police have registered a case against 12 final-year students of Government Dental College on allegations of ragging first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) juniors at the Osmania Medical College hostel in Hyderabad. The case was registered at Sultan Bazar Police Station under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, following a formal complaint filed by college principal Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav.
What Happened
The alleged ragging took place on the hostel premises of Osmania Medical College, where students of Government Dental College are currently housed. Senior students reportedly subjected their first-year juniors to both physical and mental harassment. The college administration moved swiftly, suspending six of the accused final-year BDS students for six months pending a formal inquiry.
Police Action and Counselling
Officers from Sultan Bazar Police Station counselled all students involved in the incident. Investigators are continuing to examine whether additional students participated in the ragging. Police have not ruled out further arrests as the probe progresses.
College Administration's Response
Taking a serious view of the matter, the college administration has reinforced its anti-ragging committee to prevent any recurrence. Principal Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav warned that students found guilty of ragging face permanent expulsion and strict legal consequences that could permanently damage their academic and professional futures. He urged junior students to report harassment without fear and concentrate on their studies.
The Legal Framework
The case is being pursued under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, which traces its origins to the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997 — enacted when the two states were still combined. Under the law, a student convicted of ragging and sentenced to imprisonment faces dismissal from their institution. Those sentenced to more than six months are barred from admission to any other educational institution in the state. The Act also mandates that a notation of the ragging offence be embossed in bold letters on the convicted student's mark sheets and academic certificates — a provision designed to serve as a lasting deterrent.
This incident underscores that ragging continues to surface in professional colleges despite decades of legislation and institutional warnings. With a police probe ongoing and disciplinary proceedings under way, the outcome of this case is likely to set a precedent for how similar complaints are handled at Hyderabad's medical and dental institutions going forward.
Point of View
Not before. The 1997 legislation carries severe penalties, including a permanent mark on academic certificates, yet its deterrent effect is clearly limited. The real question is why anti-ragging mechanisms at Government Dental College failed to prevent this in the first place, and whether the six-month suspension of only half the accused signals a proportionate response or an attempt to contain institutional embarrassment.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Osmania Medical College hostel in Hyderabad?
Twelve final-year BDS students of Government Dental College were booked by Hyderabad Police for allegedly ragging first-year juniors at the Osmania Medical College hostel. The case was filed under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act after a complaint by the college principal.
What action has been taken against the accused students?
Six of the twelve accused final-year BDS students have been suspended for six months pending a formal inquiry. All those involved were counselled by police, and investigators are examining whether additional students participated in the incident.
Under which law were the students booked?
The students were booked under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, which derives from the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging Act enacted in 1997. The law applies to ragging both inside and outside educational institutions.
What are the penalties for ragging under Telangana law?
A student convicted under the Act and sentenced to imprisonment faces dismissal from their institution. If the sentence exceeds six months, the student cannot be admitted to any other educational institution in the state. Additionally, a notation of the ragging offence must be embossed on the student's mark sheets and academic certificates.
Why were Government Dental College students staying at Osmania Medical College hostel?
Government Dental College students are currently accommodated in the Osmania Medical College hostel, which is where the alleged ragging incident took place. The two institutions share hostel facilities in Hyderabad.
