Madurai, Sep 23 (IANS) In a disturbing case of ragging, a 14-year-old student of a government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Chekkanoorani near Usilampatti in Madurai district was stripped and brutally beaten by three of his hostel mates.

The assault, which took place on September 18, was filmed by another student and came to light only after the video went viral on September 23, triggering widespread outrage.

Police said the victim, a first-year ITI student from Varusanadu in Theni district, had joined after passing Class VIII and was staying in the hostel run by the Department of Kallar Reclamation.

The accused, aged 15 and 17, were also first-year students.

Based on a complaint from the victim’s father, police registered a case under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997, along with charges of assault and criminal intimidation.

The juveniles have been detained for inquiry.

Madurai Superintendent of Police B.K. Arvind clarified that the assault was “a case of ragging and not caste-based violence.”

The latest case has drawn strong reactions as ragging continues to plague educational institutions in Tamil Nadu despite repeated crackdowns and legal provisions.

Recently, Madurai Medical College was in the spotlight when second-year MBBS students were suspended in early 2023 for allegedly ragging freshers during hostel hours. The inquiry committee found evidence of physical and verbal harassment, prompting criticism from health authorities and student bodies.

In 2020, a polytechnic student in Villupuram district was hospitalised after being forced to perform humiliating acts by hostel mates.

Earlier, in 2013, a first-year student of a private engineering college in Salem was stripped and beaten by seniors, an incident that caused widespread condemnation.

In 2009, a student of SVS College of Engineering in Coimbatore suffered grievous injuries after being assaulted by seniors inside his hostel, while the same year, a nursing student in Dharmapuri attempted suicide following sustained ragging.

Despite Tamil Nadu being one of the first states in the country to enact a dedicated anti-ragging law in 1997, these incidents continue to surface, exposing gaps in enforcement and monitoring.

Child rights activists and educationists have repeatedly called for stricter hostel supervision, confidential reporting mechanisms, and awareness campaigns to ensure that young students are protected from such abuse.

–IANS

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