Jadavpur University student alleges ragging at main hostel
Kolkata: A second-year postgraduate film studies student at Jadavpur University (JU), Arani Ghose, has accused a group of undergraduate students of ragging him at the university’s main hostel. The alleged incident, which occurred on March 18, has reignited concerns about student safety and hostel discipline.
In a formal complaint to the university administration and the Anti-Ragging Committee (ARC), Ghose recounted that he had visited a friend’s room in the A-1 block when a group of hostel boarders detained him for nearly four hours. He claimed he was verbally abused, intimidated and coerced into posting a public apology on social media under duress. Ghose alleged that the harassment stemmed from his outspoken stance against ragging incidents the previous year. “They accused me of tarnishing the hostel’s reputation. I was repeatedly threatened and warned that if I deleted or altered the post, I would face severe consequences upon returning to the hostel,” he stated in his complaint.
Among those accused is a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, allegedly the primary instigator. This student had previously been implicated in a 2023 ragging case that resulted in the death of a first-year student. The university had decided to suspend him for four semesters in 2024 based on the findings of its probe panel. However, the punishment could not be enforced as the student challenged the decision in the Calcutta High Court. The complaint also claims that a wooden flute was used in an intimidating manner, implying the potential threat of physical violence. “One of them kept hitting the bed with a wooden flute.
Through gestures, they tried to make me understand that it could be used as a weapon against me if necessary,” Ghose wrote. The allegations have sparked widespread concern, with students and faculty demanding a thorough investigation. JU officiating vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta stated: “We have received the complaint but there are questions about whether this incident qualifies as ragging. Primarily, it involves allegations of misconduct. An inquiry committee has been formed.”
