Three postgraduate students of the government-run BJ Medical College in Pune have been suspended and removed from their hostel for allegedly ragging junior doctors, Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of the medical college, which is attached to the Sassoon General Hospital, said on Wednesday.
Pawar said the college took action after it received a complaint against three second-year PG students from the Orthopaedic Department. He added that a 15-member anti-ragging committee has been formed to investigate the incident and that it will submit the report within seven days.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Pawar said, "We received a complaint on Monday afternoon, following which I formed an anti-ragging committee. The committee is currently conducting an enquiry. It has a total of 15 members, which includes representatives from the parents' association, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), doctors, and police. The final report will be submitted in seven days. Additionally, the head of the Orthopaedic Department has been transferred to another department."
According to sources, the accused targeted four junior doctors from orthopaedic department. "They allegedly harassed the juniors mentally, sometimes physically, and even used intimidating language. The victims even reached out to the HOD of the Orthopaedic Department, but they did not get any help, so they reached out to Mantralaya (state secretariat) in Mumbai. Following this, the investigation was initiated at the college," sources said.
"The ragging was not just limited to the hostel; the seniors did it in the hospital premises as well, and there were instances of pouring hot water on the victims too. As one of the victims comes from a high-profile background and had connections in Mantralaya, he made the complaint there, following which the probe was initiated," sources added.
However, Pawar has denied all the allegations and stated that he or the HOD did not receive any complaint regarding ragging from the students. "It was on Monday that we received the complaint from the state secretariat and the students both simultaneously," he said. "There is no such case of pouring hot water on students. It's an exaggeration," he added.
He emphasised the institution's strict anti-ragging principles and said, "No one should engage in such activities, as we are all colleagues. As human beings, we must respect one another. However, if anyone is found guilty of ragging, the institution will take strict action, and no leniency will be shown," he stated.
