New Delhi : The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that a dalit student of Al Qamar College of Nursing in Gulbarga, Karnataka was forced by her seniors to drink phenyl while ragging her due to which her food pipe was burnt and internal organs were damaged.
She is from Kerala and now battling for life at the Government Medical College, Hospital, Kozhikode in the state.
Reportedly, the brutal incident took place two weeks ago and both the Gulbarga Police and the College Authority tried to hush up the case.
The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Karnataka as well as the District Collector and Superintendent of Police, Kozhikode, Kerala calling for reports on action taken in the matter within four weeks.
The Commission has also observed that ragging has been banned in the educational institutions and certain guidelines on recommendations of the Raghvan Committee have been issued in this regard.
The apex court, while deciding the Civil Appeal No. 887 of 2009, has also referred to ragging as an ugly scar, which is required to be obliterated from the face of educational institutions. The College Authorities are legally bound and responsible to ensure protection of students from the menace of ragging.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police yesterday said that they would comprehensively investigate the case.
The doctors have reportedly said that the toilet cleaning fluid has burnt the student’s internal organs.
The principal of the nursing school, Dr Esther, has said that there was no ragging, adding the girl drank the phenol because of some family problems.
The victim’s mother, who is a daily wage labourer, took a loan of Rs. three lakh for her daughter’s education. (ANI)