Nursing college forces ragging victim to drop case, parents protest

Bengaluru, Feb 4: Anger spilled on to the streets on Tuesday with many organisations protesting against the alleged ragging of a college student in K.R. Puram here.

Thamarai Chelvan, a student of South East Asian College of Nursing, attempted suicide on January 28 after alleged ragging by his classmates. The family claimed that the college management offered financial assistance for the treatment if they dropped the case. In the police complaint, the family named the college and the four boys involved.

Thamarai continues to be in a critical condition in Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road and doctors say that he had suffered ‘severe neurological dysfunction’. His parents allege that four college staff members asked them to take Thamarai back to their hometown for treatment.

“The staff brought a letter which said that the management would bear half the cost of Thamarai’s treatment if we gave them in writing that no legal action will be taken. We refused this,” his father P. Tirumurugan said. The college management was unavailable for comments.

Meanwhile, the All-India Students Federation and All-India Youth Federation staged a protest outside the college. National Federation of Indian Women State president Jyothi A. said the protestors were called for a meeting by the management where they made “misleading comments” about the boy attempting suicide in Class 10 as well.

To the K.R. Puram polices’ claim that the boy’s family had not mentioned ‘ragging’ in the complaint, Ms. Jyothi asked, “When a layman files a complaint, should he/she conclude the case as well? Isn’t that the police’s job?”