India: Jadavpur University student who died after ragging was paraded naked, called homosexual

The death of a 17-year-old student in India's Jadavpur University has started a debate around ragging after it was reported that he was stripped and made to walk naked around the campus of the hostel. The incident came to light after an investigation was carried out by the police into the tragedy.

The student, who was in a first-year undergraduate course, fell from the second floor of the main hostel of the university on August 9. It was alleged by his family that he had gone through sexual harassment and ragging at the hostel.

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So far, 13 arrests have been made by the police in the case. As per the police sources, the staff members and boarders at the hostel have been questioned.

They said that the teenager was paraded naked by some students as part of a ragging exercise. In the investigation, it was found that the boy was ragged for more than an hour and he had to run from room to room to escape bullying.

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During the ragging session, the student also had to face homosexual slurs, according to the sources. The officials said that police have collected evidence against around 12 of the 13 people accused and arrested so far.

The officials added that the police have been thinking about invoking the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The ragging incident at the prestigious institution has restarted the conversation around ragging on campus and whether the current rules are sufficient to tackle this menace.

Complaint filed after people in army-like clothes enter campus

Jadavpur police station launched a complaint a day after a few men and women in army-like clothes entered the university and positioned themselves near the administrative headquarters.

JU officiating vice-chancellor Buddhadeb Sau, speaking to the reporters, said that the people claimed to be a human rights group's representatives.

However, Sau asked them to submit a written communique, introduce themselves and share their credentials.

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"Around 4.20 pm, a person identified as Quazi Sadeque Hossain, who called himselfthe secretary general of 'Asian Human Rights Society,' along with 20-30 others entered the campus in army uniform," said the official, adding that a sub-inspector of the police station lodged the complaint.

"They had introduced themselves as a human rights group. As they had sent a communique to me for a meeting, I gave them time. I asked them to provide their credentials in writing," Sau said while speaking to the reporters.

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