In a major incident of campus ragging, an FIR has been lodged against 18 students of Tripura medical College (TMC), Hapania at Amtali police station by the principal of the college.

Sources said that after internal investigation over mass ragging, the principal of the college,  Dr Arindam Datta, who has received the complaints from some parents and from a anti-ragging NGO  and filed the an FIR  at Amtali police station, case No 131/2024 , filed on October 26, was registered under Section 4 of Tripura Educational Institution (prevention of ragging) rules and has also imposed a collective fine of Rs. 10 lakh on the accused students and they were also suspended from college hostel for next one year and monitoring the mobiles of the accused for a period of six months.

Sources added that senior students are being accused of threatening junior to shave their heads, and forcing girl students to propose to their seniors etc.

After conducting an internal enquiry, the college found that the accused students repeatedly abused , threatened and humiliated the newly admitted 2024 MBBS students, especially ST students, forcing them to do insulting activities through WhatsApp messages.

The eighteen students against whom the FIR was registered are  Barkha Debbarma , Urvashi Debbarma,  VL Peksanga Sailo, Renesha Debbarma, Mellisa Jorinsangi Pachua, Lima Debbarma, Ayubir Debbarma, Langmaku Debbarma ,  Koleb Malsum,  Tinni Debbarma, Samplai Debbarma, Sinai Debbarma, Siddhartha Mog , Urmila Tripura, Pirma Debbarma,  Isha Debbarma, Mishol Debbarma and Saurav Debbarma.

Police sources said that in the letter of complaint to police the principal Dr Arindam Datta said that he had received a complaint about ragging from an anti-ragging activist Rupesh Kumar Jha and some parents through email and lodged an inquiry.

 A complaint in this regard has also reached the National Medical Commission (NMC)’s anti-ragging cell.

As per the police complaint filed by the principal, Dr Arindam Datta, the college constituted a committee to inquire into the complaints and the complaints have been found prima-facie is true.

In the enquiry by the college authorities, the accused students were found to have repeatedly been involved in abusing their juniors, especially some ST students forcing them to do insulting activities and were found dictating victim students through WhatsApp messages to introduce themselves and speak in Kokborok language.

Apart from filing an FIR, the college committee also decided a financial penalty of Rs. 50,000 per student on all the accused and Rs. 10,000 for repeat harassers and an additional of Rs. 25,000 on those who abused other students (save team).

After receiving the complaint the officer in charge (OC) of Amtali police station Smriti Kanta Bardhan has issued notices to the guilty students for appearing in the police station , threatening arrest in the event of their failure to do so.

  Anti-ragging activist, Rupesh Kumar Jha who led the operation from the NGO’s side, said that this should serve as an example for the entire country. Mass human right violation cannot be allowed in the educational institutions.

He also said that this is one of the biggest cases in which any college has given punishment to the culprits. In many such earlier cases, the college administrations in the past have tried to cover up the acts of ragging prevalent.