Hyderabad police on Wednesday registered cases against 12 final-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students of Government Dental College, the dental wing of Osmania Medical College (OMC) in Afzalgunj, for allegedly ragging first-year students at a hostel on the OMC campus, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.
The accused students have also been suspended from the college for six months, they said.
The students are accommodated in the Osmania Medical College hostel, where the alleged incident took place.
A senior police officer of the Sultan Bazar police station, requesting anonymity, said, “A case has been registered under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997 based on a complaint filed by Sanjeev Singh Yadav, principal of Government Dental College, Afzalgunj.”
“The accused students have been counselled and let off. An investigation is underway,” the officer added.
According to police, the incident came to light on Tuesday after first-year students staying at the boys’ hostel on the OMC campus complained to the college management about harassment by seniors.
“The students were allegedly made to bring food orders, alcohol and cigarettes from outside during odd hours and were also asked to fill water coolers. When the juniors did not oblige, they were made to do sit-ups and wall-chairs and were prevented from attending classes,” the officer said, adding that the statements of the students had been recorded and further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, the college management suspended the accused students for six months pending the police inquiry. “We received serious complaints of ragging, both physical and mental, from first-year BDS students. We immediately suspended the accused seniors for a period of six months, pending police enquiry. Ragging is a serious offence and there is no place for such activities in a prestigious institution like GDC,” principal Yadav said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the college management suspended the accused students for six months pending the police inquiry. “We received serious complaints of ragging, both physical and mental, from first-year BDS students. We immediately suspended the accused seniors for a period of six months, pending police enquiry. Ragging is a serious offence and there is no place for such activities in a prestigious institution like GDC,” principal Yadav said.
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