A first-year postgraduate computer science student of Jadavpur University had to be hospitalised on Wednesday night after he was allegedly harassed and humiliated in a "kangaroo court" in the university’s main hostel where he was accused of stealing a laptop.

In a scary rerun of recent incidents, a section of JU hostel boarders were accused of trying to stall the university officials who arrived to rescue the student who had collapsed by then.

Biswajit Pramanik was admitted to KPC Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday night. “The patient left the hospital on a risk bond today (Thursday) afternoon,” a hospital official said.

The university officials spoke of a “panic attack” but denied allegations of ragging and said it was a "misunderstanding between students" that had been sorted out.

JU dean of students Rajat Roy said: “The father of the student was present during the release. Both of them went to Purulia, where they come from.”

Jadavpur University registrar Snehamanju Basu went to see Biswajit in the hospital on Thursday and later told reporters it was not a case of ragging.

“I went to KPC Hospital today where the student has been admitted. It was a case of confrontation between two groups of students. There was a misunderstanding between two groups of students. This is not a case of ragging. We do not see this as a complaint of ragging. It has been sorted out,” Basu said.

This is not the first time JU students have been allegedly reluctant to cooperate with officials when a fellow student is suffering. This is not the first time that the student at the receiving end is from a backward district. Nor is this the first time that JU has allegedly tried to downplay allegations of wrongdoing in its hostels.

Sources in the hostel said a group of around 50-60 students had “ganged up in CD block” and surrounded Pramanik, accusing him of having stolen the laptop, reported missing earlier this week.

A member of the anti-ragging squad of the university who visited the hostel on Thursday said he had learnt that a group of hostel boarders was trying to get Pramanik to admit to having stolen the laptop when he fell sick.

“I came to know that a group of students in CD block literally ganged up on him (Pramanik) and demanded to know who had stolen the laptop. They wanted him to admit he did it. He was under tremendous duress. He started feeling uneasy,” the anti-ragging squad member said.

As Pramanik reported feeling unwell and almost lost consciousness, the hostel superintendent contacted the dean of students. The hostel superintendent and the medical superintendent went to the spot and shifted Pramanik to KPC Hospital.

The medical superintendent of Jadavpur University, Mitali Deb, later said she had gone to the spot on the vice-chancellor’s instructions. “VC Sir told me to visit after receiving information that a boy was very scared or had fallen sick.”

Deb recalled that a group of students had “ganged up around Pramanik and were having heated arguments”.

“The boy was indeed sick and had a panic attack. His friends had surrounded him, accusing him of stealing a laptop. The hostel superintendent was also there. There was no assault. There were heated arguments and discussions among the other boys. I felt that the boy needed to be admitted, else his health might deteriorate. What will happen if he falls sick at night after we leave? I called the ambulance and immediately got him admitted to KPC Hospital,” she said.

Pramanik’s shift from the campus was delayed by some hostel boarders who tried to stop the medical superintendent from reaching him and demanded she give a written declaration before taking him out of the hostel.

A first-year undergraduate student of the film studies department of Jadavpur University, whose missing laptop triggered the incident, wrote on Facebook on Thursday that his laptop was reported missing on July 22 following which he had reported the matter to the university officials.

However, he claimed that Pramanik, one of his roommates, returned his missing laptop on Wednesday. He denied the charge of “ragging” in his Facebook post.

Less than a year ago, the same campus had witnessed alleged ragging that led to the death of a first-year undergraduate student, who fell from the balcony of the main hostel.

Many said it was a “tradition on the campus to target individuals instead of reporting to the authorities”.

In the face of scathing criticism and resistance from students, the university has installed CCTV cameras on the campus but many feel the hostel occupants are far from being disciplined.

Jadavpur University pro-VC Amitava Datta said the chairman of the anti-ragging squad went to the JU main hostel. “He spoke to the students. We have not received any complaints of ragging. Unless there is a complaint, on what basis will we start a probe?”

The student had not lodged a formal complaint till Thursday evening. Kolkata police officers said they had been told by the VC that it was an “internal matter”.

Additional reporting by Subhajoy Roy