The parents of the first-year Jadavpur University student who died last year because of alleged ragging at the main hostel said they were not surprised by the allegations of ragging emerging again because the university has failed to punish any student found responsible for the death of their son a year ago.
“If you cannot enforce discipline on the campus even after the death of a student, this is bound to happen. What happened on Thursday was waiting to happen,” said the father of the deceased student.
“I still keep calling the VC, seeking to know when we will get justice. All that we get is assurance. They don’t realise that if they cannot act against the offenders, it sets a bad precedent.”
The university has yet to showcause the accused students, who have been found guilty of ragging by JU’s anti-ragging committee.
“We came to know from news reports that another JU student was admitted to hospital after being allegedly harassed at the main hostel. I am not surprised. They (the university authorities) are keeping the legacy of ragging alive,” said the father.
Police arrested 12 JU students in connection with the death of the student last
year and the case is being heard in a city court.
“As for the police, they had arrested the students. But I fail to understand why the university could not do anything. Their own anti-ragging committee has recommended punishment against the students after a probe. But no action has been taken. It has been almost a year since my elder son’s death,” the bereaved father told this newspaper.
The Telegraph reported on July 24 that a member of JU’s executive council had written to the vice-chancellor about “delay” in issuing show-cause letters to students held responsible for ragging the first-year student.
The anti-ragging committee’s report, which was submitted to the university authorities in December last year, said five residents of the main hostel, who were “present” during the ragging, “may be rusticated for four semesters and expelled from JU hostels permanently”.
It also recommended that 25 hostel residents be rusticated for one semester and expelled from hostels permanently as they were “directly associated with abetment to ragging”.
Sources on the campus said the university is preparing the show-cause letter.
“I have heard they have instituted a prize in the memory of my son. Instead of doing that, they could have given a befitting tribute to my son by delivering justice without delay,” said the father.