IIT Kanpur suspends 22 students for ragging juniors
Twenty-two students of IIT Kanpur have been suspended with immediate effect for bullying freshers on campus back in August. They are all from the second year. Orders for their immediate eviction from hostels have been issued. They will be given a chance to present their side of the matter in a hearing after the Dasara holidays in October.
The decision to suspend 22 students was taken at a meeting of the IIT-K Senate late Thursday night. The Senate, headed by the director of the institute, is the institution’s apex body for academic and administrative decisions.
The ragging incident dates back to August 19 and 20 (2017), the freshers were made to do formidable tasks, were abused and bullied. Some of the freshers had even complained that they were forced to strip by their seniors which had left them embarrassed and humiliated. Sources said that the probe committee also found the sexual harassment charges levelled by the freshers to be true. Soon after the senate meeting concluded on late Thursday night, the suspended students were not only asked to vacate their hostel rooms, they were also apprised that they cannot enter the campus till they are called to get their statements recorded.
The Senate Students Affairs Committee (SSAC) will present its final report on the matter after hearing the suspended students in October. Its report would be taken up in a Senate meeting in November.
However, the Senate decided not to take any legal action against the errant students or refer the matter to the police. In coming to that decision, it set aside the views of some members who wanted an FIR lodged against the culprits.
