Ragging horror: Beaten up by hostel inmates, student dies

Sambalpur: Tension prevailed at Garposh village in the district after locals today called for a bandh protesting inhuman ragging of a student that led to his death on Saturday. The student was earlier allegedly ragged by his friends at the hostel of a college at Visakhapatnam.

The student Shreyas Kesharwani (Omm) was beaten up by three to four students of Sri Chaitanya College at Visakhapatnam, the family members alleged. The incident occurred on December 26.

Shreyas was beaten inside Prashanti boys’ hostel and badly injured. Though he brought the ragging incidents to the notice of the college authorities, they reportedly did not take any steps in this regard. Unable to get any support from the college administration, he informed his family members who brought him back to Rourkela for treatment.

Family members claimed that Shreyas has named three to four students who had physically tortured him and they have recorded his statements in a mobile video.

Moreover, the students had also threatened to kill Shreyas if he revealed the matter to anybody. It was for this reason, Shreyas had informed the family late about the physical torture, claimed father Shailesh Kesharwani.

Protesting the incident in the educational institute, Shreyas’ villagers staged a demonstration at Garposh and demanded stern action against those involved.

The locals are also demanding action against the concerned authorities of the college and a compensation of Rs 1 crore to family of the student. The agitators had also staged a rail roko in the region to press for their demands.

BJD MP Baijayant Panda also condemned the ragging incident on twitter and urged Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar to take stringent action against erring educational institutions.

"This is unconscionable. Despite many similarly shocking incidents of #ragging deaths, this scourge continues shamelessly. @PrakashJavdekar kindly take stern steps. If you derecognise one or two such colleges, the administrators of all others would get the message,” wrote Panda on Twitter.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been registered at Garposh police outpost based on the allegations of Shreyas' father.

The agitators have called off the demonstration and rail roko after receiving the assurance that immediate and stringent action will be taken on the case, informed Kuchinda SDPO Amitabh Panda.

The body of Shreyas has been sent for cremation, said the SDPO, adding that the case will be transferred to the concerned police station in Visakhapatnam, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred.