Kolkata: Some of the students accused in the ragging of the first-year student at the Main Hostel last Aug have been roaming freely on the JU campus and interacting with potential engineering freshers and their parents who are coming to the TEQIP building for verification of documents. A section of students lodged a complaint with the authorities on Thursday stating that the presence of these individuals is unsafe for the potential first-years and the current students.There have also been complaints that some of the accused were heckling students for protesting against their presence.
“On Wednesday and Thursday, we were distributing anti-ragging leaflets in front of the TEQIP building when we saw that the students found guilty by the internal probe panel were present on the premises where the counselling was taking place and were interacting with the new students and their parents. When we protested against their presence, they started heckling us and some of them even beat me up,” said film studies student Arani Ghosh.
Comparative literature student Anushna Das said, “The accused repeatedly threatened us. But we have spoken to the new juniors and their parents and told them about the accused. We have urged the authorities to take stringent action as their presence is creating an unsafe atmosphere for juniors and others.”
JU teachers feel the university administration should take active steps to keep the accused students away from the admission procedures. Many feel the delay in punishment is why these students are still involved in such activities.
Electrical engineering associate professor Arindam Kumar Sil said, “The administration should not allow the accused to participate in the admission process. In fact, presence of no senior student is required in the admission procedures.” Another senior professor said, “The accused seniors are taking phone numbers of the juniors and trying to interact with them.” Library & information science department professor Goutam Maity said, “It is the failure of the JU administration that they have not been able to give punishment till date, and the accused are freely interacting with potential freshers.”
A university official said, “We have informed the dean of students and the dean of the engineering faculty so they can monitor the situation and ensure no untoward incident takes place at the hostel.”