Convinced with action taken by CMC management, HC closes suo motu proceedings on ragging incident

College counsel Krishna Srinivasan apprises judges of stern action taken by the principal by suspending 10 students and lodging a police complaint

The Madras High Court on Tuesday closed a suo motu public interest litigation petition taken up by it pursuant to the recent ragging incident reported at Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore. The case was closed after being satisfied with the action taken by the college management.

Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Krishnakumar recorded the submission of the college counsel Krishna Srinivasan that the management had suspended as many as 10 senior students pending a detailed inquiry regarding their involvement and had also lodged a police complaint.

Apprising the court of the action taken by the institution, the counsel said, it had constituted a special inquiry committee on November 17 to look into the incident of ragging and suggest preventive measures. The security inside the hostel had also been beefed up in order to keep a check round-the-clock.

The number of closed circuit television cameras had also been increased and now, there were 22 such cameras covering all common areas of the hostel, the mess and all the floors of the first year students’ block. Further, charge memos had been issued to hostel student governing body members, mess manager and resident warden.

“Professors have been posted on rotation to do rounds daily in the hostel, mess, library and playground. A medical officer has been posted for night duty who will stay on the hostel premises from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and go on rounds periodically and submit report to the Principal at 8 a.m. everyday,” Mr. Srinivasan said.

He said that an external monitoring committee, comprising members of civil society, from outside the institution had been constituted to periodically visit the hostel and interact with the first year students. The faculty mentors of each first year student would also report to the Principal regarding ragging incidents, if any, he added.

After perusing an affidavit filed by the college principal Solomon Sathishkumar along with a status report and exhaustive supporting documents, the judges were convinced that the college had taken stern action with respect to the incident and therefore the suo motu proceedings could be closed.