Five Nursing Students Detained for Hazing in Kerala
Synopsis
Five nursing students in Kottayam were arrested for allegedly engaging in hazing activities against freshers. Complaints from first-year students highlighted severe mistreatment, leading to police action amidst growing concerns about student safety.
Key Takeaways
Five third-year students arrested for ragging .
First-year students reported severe mistreatment .
Complaints included forced nudity and body markings.
Senior students extorted money for alcohol .
Local leaders demand accountability from authorities.
Kottayam, Feb 12 (NationPress) Five third-year pupils from the state-operated School of Nursing in Kottayam were detained on Wednesday morning for hazing first-year students.
The individuals apprehended were Rahul Raj, NS Jeeva, NP. Vivek, Rigil Jeeth, and Samuel Johnson.
The arrests followed complaints from first-year students who reported severe mistreatment.
The victims alleged they were forced to stand naked, had their images captured, and the senior students marked their bodies with sharp instruments.
Additionally, the seniors were known to extort money from the freshers for alcohol purchases.
As the abuse escalated, the first-year students chose to file a complaint.
Natakom Suresh, President of the Kottayam district Congress Committee, stated: "The police must perform their duties diligently. It's crucial to understand why this has persisted for several months and what actions the college authorities took. If the police do not handle the situation appropriately, we will escalate this matter."
Leading CPI-M figure from Kottayam, K. Anil Kumar, emphasized that the police have captured the offenders and will pursue further investigations.
This incident coincides with a recent ruling on February 6 from a division bench of the Kerala High Court, which suspended an earlier decision allowing the re-admission of 18 students at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, linked to the suicide of junior student J. S. Sidharthan.
On that day, the bench remarked that "students involved in ragging are more dangerous than those committing vandalism."
Sidharthan's body was discovered in the hostel restroom on February 18, 2024, with allegations suggesting he took his own life.
