LUCKNOW: The row over the incident of ragging of fresh batch of MBBS students at Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Safai, seems to be far from over with CM Yogi Adityanath conveying his displeasure in no uncertain terms to Vice-Chancellor, Prof Raj Kumar, who was summoned to CM office on late Friday evening.
Adityanath set up a fresh probe panel comprising Etawah district magistrate JB Singh and SSP SK Mishra, to probe the issue afresh and produce a report. Meanwhile, around 170 freshers testified before the high powered probe panel looking into the issue and they accepted that they were ragged by the seniors.
The V-C was supposed to appear before the CM with the explanation as to why he and other university officials kept the government in dark by remaining in denial mode for four days over the incident. The V-C, on the other, apprised the CM of the action taken against seven main accused of ragging.
Seven students of 2018 batch were suspended from classes and hostel for three months and a fine of Rs 25,000 on each was slapped as they were found guilty of the offence by a 12-member university probe panel on Friday. Besides, the panel also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on each student of 2018 batch.
Around 150 students of the medical university were forced by the senior batch of 2018 to get their heads tonsured and walk while “bowing in reverence” to them. As per the highly-placed sources, Chief Minister Adityanath directed the V-C him to take adequate steps to stop the repeat of such incidents on campus in
future. Notably, initially, the V-C had laughed off the incident calling it a ‘sanskar’ (ritual).
However, after the incident came to light following a video going viral on Social media, the Etawah DM JB Singh had initiated an investigation and found the university’s Anti-Ragging Squad (ARS) to be negligent in discharging its duties. A report against the university administration was sent to the government.
In the meantime, the Medical Council of India too took cognisance of the incident through media reports and shot a show-cause notice to university administration seeking response within 24 hours or be ready to get a penalty of Rs 1.5 crore imposed.
The action against 7 students was the fallout of MCI notice. Moreover, in a swift action, the university administration also removed the dean, students welfare, Dr Kalbe Jawwad, from his post and dissolved the existing anti-ragging cell of the university. The administration even planning to lodge FIR against the accused students.
Notably, the university authorities started the crackdown on Friday after being in denial mode over the incident for four days. On the other, ragging being a criminal offence now, the MCI issued guidelines for the medical university campuses to hold welcome party for the fresh batches wherein both the juniors and seniors mingle with each other with no scope for incidents like ragging any more.