Calcutta:
The inquiry committee set up by Jadavpur University to probe the circumstances leading to the death of a first-year student has concluded that the victim was singled out for serious, pre-planned violence, including possible sexual abuse.
In its report submitted to authorities, the commission said there were two possibilities for his death: “a case of instigated incident and a case of murder.”
The 17-year-old fell from the second-floor balcony of a hostel on August 9, allegedly while being beaten by seniors staying illegally in the facility. The Nadia district resident died in a hospital the next day.
However, the inquiry panel, whose members visited the hostel and spoke to stakeholders, in its report could not say with certainty the reasons behind the student’s ‘tragic fall’ that led to his death.
A total of 13 men, all former or current students, who were boarders at the hostel, were arrested in connection with the case.
“It appears that he (the victim) was singled out for the extortion, which was carried out in a systematic, planned manner, after deliberately isolating him for the extortion, while the rest of his roommates were far from him when he went to a hostel went. body meeting,” the report said.
It stated that the first-year student of the Bengali department was in a state of turmoil that evening.
At around 6:30 p.m., he and six to seven other first-year students were taken to a room by one of the main defendants, where they were forced to shout “highly objectionable, sexist and insulting” words at the female residents of the adjacent police station. After being forced to follow orders, he burst into tears.
The next session of ragging took place in another room, between 9:00 PM and 10:45 PM, where the boy was forced to sign a complaint letter addressed to the dean of students, allegedly drafted by seniors, against a day scholar of the Bangla department, in the presence of almost 12-15 boarders.
“After this, the first-year students, except the boy, were asked to attend a meeting of the General Assembly of All Hostellers (GB), which was held at around 11pm at the playground next to the A1 block,” the report said.
One of those who gave evidence before the panel said that while the GB meeting was taking place, the boy was standing in the second floor lobby with two boarders.
Those who dropped out reported to the committee that around 11:30 PM there was a loud cry (for help) from someone on the second floor of block A-2. One of those who rushed to the spot after hearing the shout reported seeing the boy running naked, and when he tried to enter a room, two to three seniors pulled him out.
The boy reportedly began running desperately again through the corridor of the A-2 block on the 2nd floor.
The report said: “Information about the subsequent movements, just before his fatal fall, is quite uncertain and vague, as none of the witnesses gave a clear description of the incident, which could help establish the cause and sequence of the fall. accident.” The committee is of the opinion that the minor “was also seriously sexually abused.”
“A large number of them found the victim lying on the road next to the A-2 block, naked and supine. At that time, the victim was found bleeding profusely from nostrils, ears and mouth and possibly from the back of the body. head,” it said.
The students covered the victim’s lower body with a ‘gamchha’ (traditional cotton towel) and took him to a hospital where he died. The report flagged the planned isolation and subsequent dressing down of the boy as a well-thought-out act. of cruelty.
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