PATAN: Police have registered an FIR against 15 students of GMERS Medical College and Hospital in Gujarat's Patan district following the death of an 18-year-old student who was allegedly ragged by them, officials said on Monday.
The tragic incident took place on Saturday night (November 16). The 18-year-old student from Surendranagar collapsed after being subjected to a 3-hour ragging session by seniors. His condition rapidly worsened, and he lost consciousness. Despite efforts by his friends to rush him for medical treatment, doctors later declared him dead.
According to family members, 18-year-old Anil Bhai Natwar Bhai Methania had only joined Dharpur Medical College in Patan a month ago to pursue his medical studies. “On the night of Saturday, November 16, around 8:30 PM, senior students called the junior students into different rooms for ragging,” said a relative. “Anil was among those targeted."
The accused, all second-year MBBS students, allegedly made some juniors, including the victim, stand in a hostel room for more than three hours on Saturday night and subjected them to "mental and physical torture," as per the First Information Report (FIR).
They have been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences, the FIR said.
The accused students have been suspended from their hostel and academic activities until further orders, said officials from the medical college hospital.
Anil Methaniya fell unconscious and died allegedly after being made to stand for three hours during ragging by his seniors at a hostel of the college on Saturday night, the college dean, Dr Hardik Shah, said on Sunday.
The college's anti-ragging committee chaired by Dr Shah took the statements of 26 students , 11 of the first-year and 15 second-year students.
The committee found that 11 first-year students were subjected to ragging by a group of 15 second-year students, a college official said on Monday.
As per the FIR lodged at Balisana police station, the 15 accused called 11 first-year students, including Methaniya and his classmates, to a hostel room on Saturday night for introduction.
They made the juniors stand for nearly three-and-a half hours while forcing them to sing and dance, utter abusive words and not leave the room.
Methaniya's health deteriorated as the students were subjected to mental and physical torture. The victim fainted and fell down at around midnight.
He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, the FIR stated.
Based on a complaint by the college's additional dean Dr Anil Bhathija, the FIR was lodged against 15 students under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, and using obscene words.
Incidents of ragging in Gujarat over the last 5 years
1. December 2021 – Ragging incident at Government Physiotherapy College, Jamnagar.
2. February 2022 – Ragging at Navodaya School, Amreli.
3. March 2022 – Ragging by resident doctors at Smeemer Hospital, Surat.
4. March 2022 – Ragging incident involving students at Anandani Kamdhenu University.
5. April 2022 – Ragging of a student at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vastrapur.
6. April 2022 – Ragging incident at GLS College, Ahmedabad.
7. October 2022 – Ragging in Marwari University hostel.
8. December 2022 – Ragging by ABVP workers at GLS University.
9. December 2022 – Ragging of 7 junior doctors by seniors at B.J. Medical College.