A 24-year-old student at GS Medical College, in Mumbai’s largest government-run King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, has filed an FIR against 17 students and two hostel wardens for harassment by ragging and casteist slurs, on 14 January, 2022.
Despite the FIR, no action has been taken by the police or the college till now.
The Jati Ant Sangharsh Samiti and Dalit Panther Suvarna Mahotsav Samiti organised a silent movement in front of KEM Hospital, demanding action from the college in the case.
Sugat Bharat Padghan, who hails from Hingoli in Maharashtra, alleged that his roommate and other students have been harassing him continuously for the last three years.
He alleged that the students have attempted to murder him on several occasions when he refused to listen to them. He had filed a written complaint to the warden and the dean of the hostel who in turn did not pay heed to his complaint.
What Are the Charges?
According to Sugat's letter to the dean, he was not provided with a bed even after requests for one and was forced to sleep on the floor. He said that other students would take their shoes off where he slept on the floor and ignored his objections. He was also singled out and scolded by the warden for drying his clothes in the hostel gallery like all other students.
Apart from this, he was forced to wash utensils and tiffins. When he refused to do so, his roommate threatened to throw him off the eighth floor of the hostel. He was also humiliated with casteist slurs. Upset over these insults, Sugat returned to his village Hingoli which greatly impacted his lecture attendance.
Sugat was ragged in college for three years
(Photo: The Quint Hindi)
Why Has No Action Been Taken Till Now?
After receiving the complaint and amid pressure from Dalit organisations, KEM’s Dean Dr. Hemant Deshmukh has formed an anti-ragging committee to investigate the matter.
However, as per the investigation report, Sugat’s allegations were dismissed as baseless and the case was closed. Moreover, Subodh More, the Convenor of Jati Ant Sangharsh Samiti, claimed that the committee was not formed following the UGC guidelines. Therefore, the organisation accused the committee of sweeping the matter under the rug.
The organisation also claimed the investigation report was invalid.
Later, Sugat and the organisation approached the SC/ST commission. Upon hearing the case, the commission asked the hospital’s dean to follow the UGC guidelines and constitute a committee consisting of voluntary members of organisations and local journalists.
A case was registered on 14 January.
(Photo: The Quint Hindi)
The Bhoiwada police have been instructed to submit a report in eight days by registering a case under the SC ST Prohibition Act 1989.
The committee informed the police that the report must state that Sugat had lodged a complaint on 17, December 2021. But the case was registered only on 14 January.
What Are the Organisations' Demands?
Dalit organisations involved in the movement have demanded that all those involved in the Sugat Padghan ragging case should be arrested.
They also demanded that a case be filed against KEM’s Dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh and Academic Dean Dr Nadkar under the Atrocity Act. Both should be suspended for turning a blind eye to the harassment case, they demanded.
The Dalit organisations have demanded that Sugat is given police protection and have asked for a case to be filed against the police personnel responsible for deferring the action.
DCP Vijay Patil told The Quint that the investigation is on and the statements of all those concerned are being recorded.
The investigation will reveal everything, he said. The police will submit its investigation report in eight days and strict actions will be taken against anyone found guilty.
(With inputs from Ritvick Bhalekar and Quint Hindi.)
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