CHENNAI: Expressing anguish over the ragging that occurred in the reputed Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, where junior students were paraded half-naked by seniors recently, the Madras High Court on Monday initiated suo motu proceedings on the matter.
The first bench of Acting CJ T Raja and Justice D Krishnakumar took up the suo motu case for hearing.
Pointing to the unseemly incidents that happen in law colleges, the judges questioned whose responsibility it is to prevent such incidents in a reputed institution like CMC; and whether such incidents would wean away students from coming to the institution.
“We are bothered about the future. Doctors belong to a noble profession which is also considered divine. When a person is fighting for life, after god, only a doctor can give life to him,” the bench said.
Therefore, we took cognizance of this matter to initiate suo motu proceedings, it noted.
"Discipline is vital for the growth of students and what is the point in securing gold medals if the students are not following discipline," the bench said and directed the CMC management to file a report in two weeks on the action taken on the matter.
The counsel, appearing for the college, submitted that a committee, headed by the college dean, had seized of the matter and seven final-year students were placed under suspension immediately after the incident was reported.
An FIR has been registered at the Bagayam police station following a complaint lodged in this regard, he said, adding that the wrongdoers would be sacked from the institution if the inquiry finds them committing the act.
The college would never tolerate acts like ragging and the anti-ragging laws are being followed strictly, the counsel said.
A video clipping of ragging of junior students by parading them half-naked in the institution went viral recently causing outrage.
Subsequently, the management swung into action and suspended seven students, besides initiating an appropriate inquiry.