BHUBANESWAR: Three students of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), who have been accused of ragging, were on Tuesday rusticated from the institution for one year by the Vice-Chancellor. The students are from second, third and fourth year of BSc (Forestry) course.
The step comes over a week after the disciplinary committee of the university recommended rustication of five students of College of Forestry for ragging the first year students. The two other students have been rusticated from hostel for one year.
Similarly, the university has imposed a fine of `5,000 on five other students of the college and put as many others on conduct probation.
Vice-Chancellor Manoranjan Kar said, the students who have been placed under conduct probation cannot participate in any study programme outside the campus or represent the university in any extracurricular activity or official function. They will be subjected to suspension or expulsion if they violate the university regulations while on conduct probation.
On November 19, a group of first year students of BSc (Forestry) was allegedly dragged out of their hostel rooms in the midnight and assaulted. Following the incident, their parents reported the matter to Khandagiri police. Subsequently, complaints of ragging were filed against 15 students.
Dean of College of Forestry, MM Hossain and Dean (Students’ Welfare) had conducted an inquiry into the incident and submitted a report to Kar on November 24.
Although Kar had initially admitted to ragging of first year BSc Forestry students in the campus, on Wednesday he claimed that the incident was not related to ragging. After an inquiry last week, Kar said the disciplinary committee found proof supporting the ragging allegation against five students. “After questioning the 15 accused students, we found that it was a matter of indiscipline and not ragging,” he said, adding that there was an argument between first year students and seniors in the hostel mess on November 19 evening over dinner. When the first year students said they would have their dinner first, the seniors objected and this led to a clash between the two groups. Some first year students sustained injuries in the clash, the VC informed.