Ragging drives college student to set self ablaze

Feb. 6: A first year B. Com student of a private college at Bommayarpalam in the district set himself ablaze on Friday unable to bear the ragging by his classmates.

The student, K Sridhar, a native of Hanumanthai colony in Marakanam, went to college as usual on Friday. However, he returned home in a distraught state after a few hours, doused kerosene on his body and immolated himself.

He died at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry on Saturday morning.

Police said that Sridhar was harassed by three of his classmates, Vetrivel, Dayanithi and Surendran, in the college campus a few days back. Following this, his father, Mr Kuppusamy, a road mazdoor, lodged a complaint with the college management.

“The authorities warned the trio but enraged by this, they humiliated Sridhar again,” said a senor police officer.

Though it is usually senior students who rag juniors, in this case, the classmates themselves are the culprits. “We have booked cases against them under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997,” said the police officer.

The college authorities including the principal were not available for comment. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had given a directive to all state governments to form anti-ragging panels.