NILGIRIS: The administration of a Government Arts and Science College at Gudalur in Nilgiris district, on Tuesday suspended six students for ragging a first-year student from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community last week.
Sources from the college said that on July 24, an ST student from Shooting Mattam in Gudalur was stopped by third-year students from different departments in the morning. They forced him to distribute pamphlets advertising a private hotel that had opened that day.
When the student refused to follow directions, the senior students ragged him in front of the college. When the student reacted against their actions, the seniors assaulted him on the spot. The first-year student sustained injuries and was admitted to a government hospital for treatment the same day.
Following this, the student’s relatives appealed to the college administration the next day. After an inquiry by the administration, six students were suspended for one week. Meanwhile, police are investigating the matter, sources added.
The college administration has warned of strict action if students get involved in ragging again. Repeated attempts to reach the College Principal (in-charge) S Subhashini were in vain. A senior officer from the Joint Directorate of Collegiate Education in Coimbatore, told TNIE that it was not a ragging complaint, but rather that students had assaulted a student outside the college.