 "Ragging horror in Gujarat: Medical student dies after standing for hours")
An 18-year-old first-year medical student, Anil Natwarbhai Methaniya, from GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Patan, Gujarat, died on Saturday night following an alleged ragging session by senior students in his hostel. The incident has sparked outrage, with his family and batchmates accusing a group of third-year students of subjecting Anil and others to intense ragging, including prolonged standing and verbal abuse.
Hailing from Jesda village in Surendranagar district, Anil collapsed during the alleged ragging and was rushed to the Dharpur Hospital’s emergency department, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Family and batchmates demand justice
Anil’s cousin, Dharmendra Methaniya, recounted the distressing call the family received about the student’s condition. “When we reached the college, we were told he had died, and the body had been sent for a postmortem. We demand a fair investigation into his death,” he said.
Batchmates revealed that more than ten first-year students were allegedly targeted during the ragging session. “We were told to gather at designated hostel blocks around 9 pm based on the regions we came from. This was communicated through WhatsApp groups. We stood for over three hours giving introductions,” one of his peers told The Indian Express on condition of anonymity.
Ragging allegations escalate to criminal charges
The Patan district police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against 15 second-year MBBS students under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, and use of obscene language.
According to the FIR, the accused summoned 11 first-year students, including Anil, to a hostel room on Saturday night. They were forced to stand for over three hours, sing, dance, and utter abusive words. The prolonged mental and physical torture allegedly led to Anil fainting around midnight.
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Dr Anil Bhathija, the college’s additional dean, lodged the police complaint, detailing that Anil’s health deteriorated during the ragging session.
College takes disciplinary action
The college’s anti-ragging committee, chaired by Dean Dr Hardik Shah, has initiated a probe. “We have taken the statements of 26 students, including 11 first-years and 15 second-years,” Dr Shah said.
All 15 accused students have been suspended from their hostel and academic activities until further notice, according to college officials. (With PTI inputs)