Indore: The first year student of Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR)who had accused two of his classmates of ragging him, on Monday wished to withdraw the complaint. However, University Grants Commission (UGC) declined his request even as the college handed over the complaint to its anti- ragging committee.
Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communication) first year student of PIMR (UG Campus) had lodged a complaint with UGC alleging ragging by his classmates Geteesh Sharma and Hatim Badhshah. In his complaint, he had alleged that the duo would torture, harass, verbally abuse and passed lewd comments against him.
He had also claimed that he had approached senior faculty Zuber Khan and informed him about ragging incident but the teacher denied helping him saying that it was his problem so he himself should deal with it. With no solution in sight, the student filed a complaint with UGC and in turn directed the college to probe the matter and submit inquiry report at the earliest.
But before the anti-ragging committee started the inquiry, the complainant on Monday sent an email to UGC claiming that the college director and anti-ragging committee have taken appropriate action into the matter so he wants to withdraw the complaint. His email to the UGC reads: “Our college director and the anti-ragging committee have resolved my complaint. An appropriate action has been taken with reference to my case so I (wish to) withdraw my complaint.”
The UGC, however, declined its request stating that it would now have to follow the ragging protocol. Meanwhile, the college handed over the complaint to its anti-ragging committee. “We have directed the committee to probe into the complaint and submit its report at the earliest. The report will be forwarded to the UGC,” PIMR director Yogeshwari Phatak said.
On being told that the complainant has applied for withdrawal of his complaint, Phatak said, “That does not make any difference now.” “Once complaint is filed, inquiry has to be done. We will follow the ragging protocol,” she added. If plaint found untrue, complainant will face action.
As per ragging guidelines, if ragging charges are found untrue, the complainant faces action. About two months ago, a student of PMB Gujarati College was suspended for 10 days for lodging false complaint of ragging against two of his senior students. After lodging the complaint, he had wished to withdraw it but the UGC did not allow him to do so. In an inquiry, his complaint was found untrue and he was suspended for 10 days. Recently, an Indore Agriculture College student, who had lodged false complaint of ragging against six of his classmates and seniors, was also punished for fake complaint.