19-year-old Kerala nursing student in ICU after being ragged by seniors

A 19-year-old Dalit student studying at a nursing college near Bangalore has been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital here with severe stomach problems after she was allegedly ragged by her seniors, police said.

The girl, a first semester nursing student of Al Qamar College of Nursing at Gulburga and a native of Edappal in Malappuram district, joined the college five months back, said Habib, Station Head, Kozhikode Medical College Hospital Police Station.

She was being allegedly ragged by some of her seniors ever since she had joined the women's hostel.

On May 9, she was allegedly forced to drink toilet cleaning lotion by eight of her seniors, who also belonged to Kerala, he said.

Following this, she was admitted to a private hospital in Gulburga with serious stomach problems. As her condition worsened after five days of treatment, she was sent back home along with another Keralite student.

The girl was then admitted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital and after a few days, on June 2, she was referred to KMCH, he said.

Doctors at KMCH had suggested a major surgery as the chemicals of the toilet cleaner severely damaged her food pipe following which she has been admitted to the ICU, he said.

Cases under various sections of IPC, including 307 (attempt to murder), 36 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 346 (wrongful confinement in secret) and various sections of SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act have been registered against the senior students, he said.

The case has been transfered to Gulbarga University police station for further investigation, he said.