Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The College of Agriculture suspended scholarships of 13 students, expelled them from the hostel and barred their participation in cultural and sports activities following their involvement in ragging.
These students were not only harassing their juniors but also misbehaving with women students, obstructing pathways and creating disturbance on the campus. Following an investigation by the anti-ragging committee, 13 senior students were found guilty and disciplinary action was taken against them. A notice listing the names of the guilty students was displayed on the college notice board on Friday.
The accused students staged protests throughout the day on the campus, calling the investigation ‘one-sided’ and demanding the withdrawal of disciplinary action.
Complaint and investigation
The ragging incidents reportedly began at the start of the 2024-25 academic session. First-year BSc students had been enduring harassment both in college and hostel. Complaints were formally lodged on the University Grants Commission (UGC) anti-ragging helpline in early March.
Following the UGC’s directives, the college’s anti-ragging committee met on March 5 to investigate the claims. Statements from junior students confirmed that seniors were blocking their way, forcing them to meet unreasonable demands, using abusive language and inciting others to participate in ragging.
Women students also alleged inappropriate behaviour from seniors. Further investigation identified several students from the BSc fourth-year and MSc programme as culprits. Some of the accused admitted to being present during the incidents. Based on these findings, the committee submitted its report to the UGC on March 7, holding 13 students guilty.
Punishment and protest
On March 20, the college administration announced strict disciplinary action. The guilty students—whose names were made public—were stripped of their scholarships, barred from participating in cultural and sports events and expelled from the hostel. This decision led to an uproar among senior students, who staged protests on Friday.
They claimed the investigation was biased and lacked substantial proof. Kundan Solanki, one of the accused, stated that the allegations were false and targeted specific students due to faculty biases. A memorandum challenging the disciplinary action was submitted to dean Bharat Singh.
College administration firm
Despite the protest, the administration defended its decision. The dean asserted that the investigation was conducted fairly with external members involved in the inquiry. “The UGC instructed us to investigate after receiving complaints from juniors. We examined all aspects before taking action,” he said.
List of punished students
The 13 students facing disciplinary action include Kundan Solanki, Raj Padidar, Shivam Yadav, Kundan Malviya, Ansh Dharve, Kuldeep Singh, Kanak Chourey, Ankit Solanki, Rahul Dangi, Nikki Kirar, Laxman Singh Tomar, Ajay Meena and Pradyumya Jambolkar.
