GMCH forced to act after whistle-blower alerted UGC

Nagpur: The whistle-blower in the ragging case that happened at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) had alerted the University Grants Commission (UGC) anti-ragging helpline cell through an e-mail. This prompted the authorities here to lodge a first information report (FIR) in the case.
Following the GMCH anti-ragging committee complaint, Ajni police have registered an offence against six interns of the 2017 batch under section 4 of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999. If the charges are upheld in court, the interns face a jail term up to two years and a fine up to Rs 10,000.
Under section 5 of the anti-ragging law, the interns would also be not able to take admission in any other institutions after being dismissed from the GMCH.
The interns, who face charges under sections 323 (assault), 504 (breach of peace) and 506 (threatening), have been suspended and their internship too has been scrapped.
Police said the victim, a student of 2021 batch, was celebrating his birthday when the seniors summoned him to their hostel. The only junior in the room, he was slapped by them. A video that was shot by someone from the hostel was sent to the UGC helpline.
“We will seek statements from the interns and the anti-ragging committee and file the charge sheet,” said a senior police official.
While the GMCH authorities had approached the police, there was no such action for a similar incident that happened at AIIMS which suspended seven medicos from the second year for a fracas against juniors. The six-month suspension was also revoked.
As per experts, the word 'ragging' in the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999 is wide and includes any 'display of disorderly conduct', doing of any act which causes or is likely to cause physical or physiological harm or raise apprehension or fear or shame or embarrassment to a student in any of the educational institutions and shall include teasing, abusing, threatening or playing practical joke on, or causing hurt to, such student or ask a student to do something which he would not willingly do.
“When the head of the educational institutions fails to act on a complaint or ragging then he or she can be booked under section 7 of the Maharashtra prohibition of Ragging Act for 'deemed abetment' and shall face imprisonment up to two years and fine up to Rs 10,000,” said the expert.