KOCHI: The trauma of an alleged ragging incident has forced a nursing student to give up on his dreams.
The 19-year-old student of Amrita College of Nursing, Kochi, said the challenges looming within the campus until the end of the course, coupled with threats to life from seniors, compelled him to quit.
“I opted for BSc nursing and chose that reputed institution because of my passionate desire to serve in the medical field. But now I am waiting for my transfer certificate (TC),” he told TNIE.
Having enrolled at the college last year, the difficulties with seniors, along with attendance shortage resulting from prolonged illnesses (conjunctivitis and fever), have left him with little option, he said
“I’m seeking admission to BSc psychology or culinary arts at another college,” he said. On his painful experience, he said: “As instructed by the seniors (Govind Nair and Sujith Kumar), I reached their rented home at Ponekkara, near Edappally, along with two of my friends. As soon as they saw us, they asked my friends to stay away and forced me to strip off my shirt and trousers. Then, they attacked me on my face, thighs and backside with their hands and a hanger. My whole body was injured. They also threatened to kill me if I reported the incident. My friends are witnesses to the incident, but they aren’t speaking up out of fear for their lives.”
The youth further elaborated that the assault stemmed from a previous incident.
“Shortly after I joined the college, on August 18, 2023, the seniors ragged me and other newcomers. One of us lodged a complaint with the authorities. During this period, I was at home due to conjunctivitis. However, the seniors mistakenly believed that I had reported them and subsequently subjected me to torture. Fortunately, the situation was resolved with the intervention of police and faculty members,” he said.
Reflecting on an incident related to a junior’s assault case, he recalled being temporarily removed from class for a delayed submission of an anti-ragging affidavit.