Chennai: Two final-year students of the Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchy, are likely to be debarred for a semester for ragging a Dalit classmate whom they allegedly made him drink urine-laced soft drink.
Currently, the two students are suspended by the university.
The incident reportedly happened on 6 January and involved two final-year BA LLB (Hons) students and their Dalit classmate at a birthday party in the university hostel. The university suspended the duo after the Dalit student approached authorities on 10 January.
On 22 January, the university’s nine-member anti-ragging committee, comprising two students, two parents, two professors, two administrative staff and the chairman, decided to debar the students for the ongoing semester and final exams scheduled in June after an enquiry committee confirmed the incident of ragging.
“However this is not a final decision. The anti-ragging committee’s decision is placed before the Executive Council (EC) of the university, which is the most powerful body of the university. The EC meeting will be conducted after the Republic Day, probably after 29 or 30 January. They will pass the order,” TNNLU Registrar S.M. Balakrishnan told ThePrint.
Balakrishnan added that if the Council — consisting of high court judges and lawyers — agrees to the decision taken by the anti-ragging committee, the students will get to finish their semester and appear in their final exams only next year.
The TNNLU Registrar also clarified that the enquiry committee found no caste angle to the incident as the accused students are Dalit and backward class.
Based on the preliminary report of the panel, the TNNLU on 18 January filed a complaint with the Ramji Nagar Police Station in the district against the students under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997.
ThePrint reached the local Ramji Nagar police station via call for comments but did not get a response. This report will be updated once a response is received.
“I have heard that the police identified the accused and initiated the proceeding. But, I haven’t received the copy of FIR yet,” Balakrishnan said.
The Dalit student had requested the authorities to withdraw the complaint a few days after the incident, Balakrishnan said, adding that the rule did not allow it.
The authorities did not know the reason behind the student’s decision which he claimed was ‘voluntary’, the registrar said.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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