The anti-ragging committee of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) has decided to write to the Director-General of Police, Chief Secretary, and the Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills to urge them to expedite the investigation into the recent ragging of a Naga student at the NEHU campus in Tura.
A meeting of the committee was held here today and was presided over by NEHU vice chancellor Prof. Prabha Shankar Shula. The meeting opined that the prolonged uncertainty over the ragging incident has adversely affected the academic atmosphere at the university.
Further, the committee decided to send a formal letter to the Campus Director of NEHU Tura campus, indicating that if the culprits are not identified soon, the university may consider collective punitive measures in accordance with the relevant clauses under the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.
“The Hostel in-charges and other relevant officials will be asked to provide a detailed report explaining any lapses in the delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) related to the incident,” the committee said.
The committee also proposed setting up of a four-member committee, including external members, to conduct a thorough inquiry into the alleged ragging incident.
“The university will explore the possibility of requesting Naga elders to facilitate obtaining the victim’s statement, with the victim’s consent, in an effort to identify the culprits responsible for the incident,” it added.
It was decided that a follow-up meeting will be held two weeks from today to review the progress of the case and any further developments.
During today’s meeting, the committee took stock of several key initiatives and inquiries that have been launched in response to the ragging incident. This includes the Chairman’s briefing on meetings with Naga elders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as the establishment of an inquiry committee by the university to investigate the incident.
Both the Naga elders and NGOs, as well as the inquiry committee, have submitted their respective reports, but so far, there has been no breakthrough in identifying the individuals responsible for the alleged ragging.
During the meeting, Prof. R L Nongkhlaw, Dean of Students’ Welfare, updated the committee on the university’s efforts to reach out to the victim through his relatives and family.
“Regrettably, the victim’s family has expressed their reluctance to allow NEHU to meet with him regarding this matter,” the committee said.
Prof. Nongkhlaw informed the committee that he had discussed the possibility of transferring the victim’s admission to another academic course, which the university is willing to facilitate. However, the victim has indicated that he does not wish to pursue any academic courses during this session.
Dr. P Khongji, the Proctor, provided information about the committee’s visit to the Tura campus and shared updates on the ongoing interrogations of students and the warden conducted by the local police team in Tura.
