Hubballi/Mallapuram: A 19-year-old dalit girl from Kerala studying in Al Qamar College of Nursing, Kalaburagi,who was hospitalised after being allegedly ragged by her senior students and forced to drink toilet cleaning solution phenol, is serious. The girl, Aswathi, a native of Pulluvanpadiyil near Edappal, is a first semester BSc nursing student staying in the college hostel.

Senior girl students insisted that she sang and danced. When she refused, Aswathi was allegedly forced to drink a toilet cleaning solution on May 9. She was admitted to a private hospital in Kalaburagi.

After five days, her condition worsened and was sent home by college authorities along with another student. Later, she was taken to Thrissur Hospital and on June 2 she was shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, her family said.

The nursing college, however, denied that the girl was ragged in her hostel and said the incident looked more like an attempted suicide.

Speaking to TOI, MM Baigh, administrator, AL Qamar College of Nursing, said, “I am really shocked to hear that the girl is making allegations of ragging in our college. There was no ragging in our college. The girl consumed phenol. When it came to our notice, we immediately rushed her to a hospital in Kalaburagi. She recovered and resumed coming to college. She was fine. A few days ago, she went to Kerala to meet her parents.”

Baigh says that after reaching Kerala, Aswathi has given a statement that she was ragged and forced to drink phenol. “I had insisted that doctors get a medico legal case instituted when she was admitted to the local hospital after consuming phenol. It looks like a suicide attempt, not ragging,” he claimed.

M Shashikumar, SP, Kalaburagi, said police visited the hostel and questioned students staying with the girl after the alleged incident was reported in the media.

“Two of her seniors allegedly forced her to sing, dance and drink phenol. Now, the girl has been hospitalized for further treatment and her parents have lodged a complaint with Kozhikode police that their daughter was ragged by senior girl students of the college,” he said.

“We are waiting for the transfer of the complaint lodged by the girl’s parents from Kozhikode police to Kalaburagi police. After getting the complaint and other details, we will start our inquiry,” said the SP.

Source