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SPPU orders probe into alleged ragging of FY MBA students
Vice-chancellor professor Karbhari Kale served warning notices to 17 senior students suspected to be involved in the ragging case
The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has ordered a probe into an alleged case of harassment of a first-year Masters of Business Administration (MBA) student while taking action against 17 senior students. The mother of the student, 21, alleged that her daughter and other students were subjected to ‘ragging’ by seniors, a charge the SPPU has denied. Taking cognisance of the complaint lodged by the junior student along with her parents however, vice-chancellor professor Karbhari Kale served warning notices to 17 senior students suspected to be involved in the ragging case.
Kale said that the university administration has received a complaint in writing from the junior student although there appears to be a misunderstanding between the juniors and the seniors. “There are counselling sessions undertaken by senior students in the first week which the juniors have to attend. Apparently, the juniors were made to wait for some hours and therefore, we have initiated the probe and removed 17 seniors from the counselling session. Also, they will be issued warning notices to behave properly with the juniors,” Kale said.
According to the mother of the junior student from Navi Mumbai however, students of the MBA course at SPPU were harassed and mentally tortured during the weeklong counselling session held last week. “Just last week, my daughter joined the MBA course at SPPU and ever since, the senior students in her department have been mentally and physically torturing the juniors. The seniors would tell the juniors to stand for hours in the classroom and would not allow them to sit down. The juniors were also mentally tortured and bullied. My daughter could not bear this and was frightened and complained about it to me so today, we immediately came to Pune,” the mother of the junior student said.
She claimed to have gone to the Chaturshrungi police station to lodge a police complaint where the police told her to first contact the university administration. “So, we met the vice-chancellor and complained about the harassment by the senior students. He told us to give in writing and accordingly, we have described all incidents of ragging in our written complaint. My daughter is so frightened that she does not want to come back to Pune and the SPPU to resume the course. Not only my daughter but all other junior students from this batch are afraid and it is because of fear that they are not coming forward to lodge a complaint,” the mother said requesting anonymity.
