Rajasthan medical student undergoes dialysis after being ragged; 7 booked

According to the victim's father, the seniors forced his son to perform between 300 and 350 sit-ups under the blistering sun

In another distressing case highlighting the persistent issue of ragging in India, a first-year medical student in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur has allegedly been subjected to severe ragging by senior students. The ordeal reportedly led to the victim developing liver and kidney infections, necessitating dialysis, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The 20-year-old student from Dungarpur’s Government Medical College (GMC) was among 50-70 freshmen taken to a hill by senior students on May 15. According to the victim’s father, the seniors of the college forced his son to perform between 300 and 350 sit-ups under the blistering sun. The extreme physical strain led to muscle damage, which subsequently caused infections in his liver and kidneys.

Initially, the student concealed the incident from his parents, only revealing it when he began experiencing severe pain. Subsequent medical tests confirmed the infections, leading to his hospitalisation in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where he underwent dialysis four times over a week. Nearly a month and a half later, he returned to college in June.

Following the incident, an FIR was filed against seven students under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including voluntarily causing hurt, unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, and assault.  The incident has sparked outrage and renewed calls for stringent measures against ragging in educational institutions across the country.

The college administration, prompted by a communication from the National Medical Commission’s (NCM) anti-ragging cell, formed an investigative committee within 24 hours. GMC principal Balamuruganvelu S told The Indian Express, “We suspended seven students involved in the ragging and lodged an FIR at the local police station.”

This incident is not isolated. In August last year, a first-year student at Jadavpur University in Kolkata died following intense ragging by his seniors. Additionally, in July 2022, a video surfaced showing students from the government medical college in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam slapping juniors who were forced to stand against a wall with their heads down.