As the heart-wrenching death of Swapnadip Kundu, a first year student of Bengali Honours at Jadavpur University shook the whole nation yesterday, police have apprehended a former Jadavpur University student, under the charge of ragging the 18-year-old boy. The arrest was made after Swapnadip's father lodged an FIR against him.
It has been reported that the accused, Sourabh Chowdhury, who did his MSc in Mathematics in 2022, continued staying at the main hostel who, during interrogation, confessed his involvement in the ragging incident. Police arrested him following his admission of guilt.
According to the officials, "Swapnadip's father Ramprasad Kundu in his police complaint mentioned the names of a few boarders of that hostel claiming that they were responsible for his son's death. Accordingly, a case under section 302/34 IPC has been started."
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About the incident
On Wednesday, 18-year-old Swapnadip, who hailed from Nadia's Bagula, fell from the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm and succumbed to death while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am on Thursday, according to police.
It has also been reported that he was heard shouting "I am not gay" repeatedly before his death. Several fellow students have confirmed it as well.
The deceased's body was found in a naked state after he fell from the balcony.
Guv forms panel headed by retired judge
In light of the current situation, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday decided to form a high-level committee headed by a former chief justice and present interim VC of a university to study the issues and come up with suggestions to end the menace of ragging during an emergency meeting of teachers in-charge of anti-ragging squads of universities at Raj Bhavan.
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A Raj Bhavan statement said it has been also been decided to put an end to the entry of outsiders on university and college campuses which may lead to physical violence and intimidation of freshers.
It has also been decided to constitute a high-level committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court and current interim vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University Subhro Kamal Mukherjee "for a thorough study of the issue" and frame suggestions to put an end to such practices on the campus, the statement said.
How has the university responded?
Jadavpur University has asked all first-year male boarders of the main hostel to temporarily shift to a new facility after an 18-year-old Bengali Honours undergraduate student died after falling from a balcony of the building.
"As directed, all undergraduate first year students for the session 2023-24 allotted to A-1 and A-2 blocks of the main hostel are instructed to shift temporarily to the new boys' hostel within today itself," a JU notification issued on Thursday said.
"It is further notified that no passed-out students as well as outsiders are allowed to stay in the hostels with immediate effect. Hostel superintendents are requested to send the names of such passed out students or outsiders, as the case maybe, who does not comply with the said instruction," it added.
