Probe on into alleged ragging by female students in college hostel

A team from the Haveli police station undertook a probe into the allegations of ragging by female students at the Zeal Education Society’s Dnyanganga College of Engineering and Research, Narhe campus, in Ambegaon on Wednesday.

Speaking to DNA, inspector (crime) Sardar Patil said the college authorities have been asked to form a four-member committee and submit a report to the police by Wednesday evening.

As reported by DNA on Wednesday, superintendent of police (Pune rural), Sandeep Karnik, acted promptly after he was informed that the police personnel at the Abhiruchi police chowki, Sinhagad Road, were refusing to register a complaint from a victim of the ragging.

One of the 18-year-old victims, who hails from Mumbai, told DNA that she was particularly disturbed as her sister had committed suicide in 2005 after facing harassment due to ragging.

The victim said that the ragging by senior female students residing at the hostel happened on August 20 when the seniors called out the freshers to the corridor and started passing “vulgar comments”.

While some students were traumatised by this, one of the victims refused to cooperate in the ragging and complained to the college rector.

The rector, however, allegedly asked her to cooperate with the seniors. The seniors also made fun of the freshers’ inability to speak correct English, she alleged.

Following the police directives, the college appointed a four-member committee comprising the college principal and three lady staff members.

Accompanied by her parents, one of the students filed a statement at the Abhiruchi police chowki. Patil said that just one student had come forward to lodge a complaint.

When asked about the incident, the institute’s director of college campus, SM Katkar said, “Prima facie, the incident was just an identity parade. However, the inquiry is going on and this matter will be cleared once the report is submitted to the police.”