The internal committee of Jadavpur University that was set up to probe the death of a first-year student has said in its interim report that ragging seemed to be one of the “probable causes” of the death.
The report also says the victim was under “significant duress”.
The report was sent to the UGC on Wednesday through the anti-ragging committee of JU, said an official of the university.
The 17-year-old was allegedly ragged and thrown from a second-floor balcony of JU Main Hostel on the night
of August 9. He died hours later.
The seven-member committee, which was constituted on the morning of August 10, has said in its report, which has been accessed by The Telegraph: “It was found that the first-year student was under a condition of significant duress during his four days (August 6 to 9) stay at JUMH (Jadavpur University Main Hostel).”
The report says: “Ragging seems to be one of the probable causes for the mishap; however, it is yet to be established. The enquiry process is still underway, and identification of the perpetrators if any or the actual cause(s) responsible for the unfortunate death of the first-year undergraduate student is yet to be ascertained.”
The report also says: “It was conclusively established that the first-year student was found in a completely naked state, lying on the ground beside the A-2 hostel building of Jadavpur University Main Hostel, in an unconscious and critically injured condition, having fallen from a considerable height, at around midnight of 09.08.2023.”
Calls and text messages from this newspaper to Subinoy Chakrabarti, dean of science faculty who is heading the committee, failed to elicit any response.
The committee has recorded statements of a number of witnesses. It held its fifth meeting on Friday to record statements.
“Since there were no CCTV cameras at the hostel, the committee is relying on the statements of those deposing before it. So it would take time for the committee to ascertain the cause of death. The interim report has been drawn based on the deposition of the dean of students, superintendent of the hostel and first-year undergraduate students of the main hostel. The students described how they were harassed by seniors,” said a JU official.
This newspaper reported on Thursday that the committee had prima-facie concluded that the first-year student had been ragged.
A JU official said the committee is likely to come up with its final report by next week. The final report, too, will be sent to the UGC.
“Besides, if it is established that the first-year student was ragged and it was one of the causes of the death, the university has to fix the quantum of punishment for the culprits,” said a JU official.
Fresh response
JU registrar Snehamanju Basu on Thursday night sent a fresh response in regard to a set of queries which the UGC sent to her on August 16 after examining the report that the registrar had sent to the regulatory body on August 14, an official said.
The UGC sought to know from the registrar whether the university had asked for an additional affidavit signed by the deceased student and countersigned by his parents for his stay in the hostel.
The JU official said it has been communicated to the UGC that since the first-year student was not allocated any hostel at the time of his enrolment earlier this month, no additional affidavit had been sought.
The deceased student was staying as a guest of a second-year student in the main hostel, the official said.
The registrar declined to comment.