E-Paper
FIR filed against 5 ILS Law College students in a ragging case
Pune police filed an FIR against five ILS Law College students for ragging, following a year of complaints and alleged mental harassment of a fellow student.
PUNE: Deccan police have registered an FIR against five students of ILS Law College in connection with an alleged ragging incident at the college hostel, nearly a year after the complainant first approached authorities.
The FIR was filed on April 25, following intervention through the University Grants Commission (UGC) anti-ragging mechanism and continued follow-up by the complainant.
The accused, all second-year students, have been booked under Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999.
The complainant, a second-year LLB student, alleged sustained mental harassment, intimidation and ragging inside the hostel.
DCP Krushikesh Rawale said, “We have taken cognisance of the facts placed before us, and an FIR was registered against five students of the law college on April 25. The investigation is in progress, and due legal procedure will be followed in accordance with the law. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.”
Responding to the allegations, principal-in-charge Deepa Paturkar said the matter arose from disputes among hostel residents and that the institution followed UGC anti-ragging guidelines.
“This case pertains to 2024 and arose out of internal disputes between students residing in the hostel. Upon receiving the complaint, the institution acted strictly as per UGC anti-ragging guidelines and submitted a detailed report to the UGC,” she said.
Paturkar added that the college’s anti-ragging committee conducted an inquiry but found no evidence of ragging.
“However, no prima facie evidence of ragging could be established during the inquiry. Since the allegations were not substantiated, no punitive action was warranted. Had any instance of ragging been proven, immediate disciplinary action would have been taken. The findings were duly communicated to the UGC,” she added.
According to the complainant, the harassment began after the victim objected to smoking in the hostel. He alleged repeated intimidation, verbal abuse and psychological harassment, including being locked inside his room, having eggs thrown at his door, and finding gutkha spat outside.
He also claimed loud music was played at night to disturb him and that he was sometimes prevented from moving freely in the hostel, including accessing washroom facilities. He alleged social isolation and threats that caused severe mental distress and affected his academic performance.
The student said he first complained to the college in October 2024, then approached the UGC anti-ragging helpline in December after no effective action. Although the college set up an internal inquiry, he remained dissatisfied with its findings.
Following continued follow-up and submission of documents, the police registered the FIR. Investigation is ongoing.
“The accused students subjected me to continuous mental harassment. Had the college acted promptly on my complaint filed in October 2024, disciplinary action at an early stage could have prevented the situation from escalating,” the complainant said.
He has also sought action against college authorities, alleging administrative negligence in handling repeated complaints.
