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A former student of Jadavpur University (JU) was on Friday, 11 August, arrested and charged with the murder of a first-year student in the campus. A case has been filed under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Two more students – a second year economics student and a second year sociology student – were also arrested in connection the incident.
What happened? The victim, a 17-year-old student, lost his life after falling from the balcony of the hostel building over alleged ragging. Hailing from Nadia district in West Bengal, the minor was pursuing his Bengali Honours from the university. He was reportedly heard shouting "I am not gay" repeatedly before his death.
Who is the accused? The main accused, a former student, had completed his MSc in Mathematics at the university in 2022, but continued to stay at the university hostel. He was a leader of the campus’ influential group Democratic Students’ Federation.
What have the cops said: "The minor's father had submitted a complaint in which he said he believed that some boarders of the main hostel were main hostel were responsible for his son's death," Joint Commisioner of Police (Crime) Sankha Shubra Chakrabarty told The Times of India.
How has the university responded: The university has asked all first-year male boarders of the main hostel to temporarily shift to a new facility after the minor's death.
"As directed, all undergraduate first year students for the session 2023-24 allotted to A-1 and A-2 blocks of the main hostel are instructed to shift temporarily to the new boys' hostel within today itself," a JU notification issued on Thursday, 10 August, said.
"It is further notified that no passed-out students as well as outsiders are allowed to stay in the hostels with immediate effect. Hostel superintendents are requested to send the names of such passed out students or outsiders, as the case maybe, who does not comply with the said instruction," it added.
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