NLIU Bhopal is currently investigating complaints of ragging that were registered with the University Grants Commission (UGC), purportedly by first year LLB students of the law school against their seniors, as first reported by the Express.
However, the law school in its investigation has no assistance from the complainant who has entered the phone number of the accused senior in the space meant for the complainant's phone number in the UGC complaint form, according to sources who have seen a copy of the UGC complaint.
The Times of India reported: “[NLIU] Proctor, Rajeev Khare told TOI that an investigation is on to identify the culprits. However, the biggest challenge in front of the authorities is how to identify the complainants. 'We are trying to identify the complainants, so that the real culprits could be caught. We have tried to convince the juniors that their identity will not be disclosed as it is the responsibility of the college to stop ragging,” said Khare. “Unfortunately, none of them has come forward.' Director, NLIU, Prof S S Singh, told media that a probe has been ordered but claimed that the complaints were not entirely true as some people named in the complaint do not exist on campus.”
According to the complaint, one male student was molested and sexually abused in an inebriated state by a senior female student, while other junior students were made to watch porn against their wishes.
Complaint Mechanism
The UGC's anti-ragging cell, created after ragging on college campuses became an offence in 2009, allows complainants to register their ragging complaints online by filling in basic information and attaching a word document with full details of the alleged instance of ragging.
There is no mechanism for verification of the identity of the complainant. The complaint in this case at NLIU was made completely anonymously, to the extent that the complainant provided the wrong phone number in the form.
A source on campus who saw the detailed copy of the complaint called it a “hoax” and a “prank” and commented: “If you see the complaint it looks like a parody. Last year also something like this had happened and the students who were named in [the UGC complaint] are the most disciplined ones They don't even talk to juniors.”
“As a student body we do feel that there is a 1% chance that the complaint might be right so we have a duty to check that. On the face of it it may look like a parody but we have a duty to follow [UGC mandated] procedure,” the source added.
The source also told us that the alleged incidents would have been hard to accomplish at NLIU due to the separate hostels and mess for the fresher students from the rest of the student body, as also due to the stricter curfew for the freshers. Due to the 9pm curfew, said the source, senior students cannot interact with the fresher students as the freshers are supposed to go back into their hostels so being forced to watch porn till 5am is a hard task to execute.
NLIU director Prof Singh was not reachable for comment by phone at the time of going to press and has been emailed.
NLU Jodhpur suspended three students found guilty of ragging by the law school's anti-ragging cell at the beginning of this month, and in 2012 NUJS Kolkata banned a third year student from representing the college in inter-university events after the student was found guilty of ragging.
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The very fact that the UGC entertains anonymous complaints from unverifiable sources facilitates fake senders to manipulate and mislead the system.
The irresponsible press and electronic media exploit the anonymous sensationalizing, particularly when allegations are salacious in nature, such as in the present case.
Kudos to Legally India, which is probably the only publication that resisted the temptation of exploiting an anonymous story, and presented a balanced and just picture, while the entire mainstream Indian press copy-pasted the Press Trust of India newsfeed without applying any sense.
PS: There are multiple anonymous complaints in this case (four by now, and counting). Quite a coincidence that 100% of the complainants have chosen not to disclose their names.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/another-ragging-cry-at-nliu/articleshow/59746356.cms
I was told by another NLIU student who was sharing a PG with me at Delhi during internship season that "he must go to his senior's PG" in the middle of the night since the senior had commanded his presence and his laptop. The poor kid was a 1st year and he was really stressed.
I have reasons to believe that NLIU has a sad and violent ragging culture which needs to be curbed with an iron fist.
Your refusal to acknowledge the reality is only natural, given that it is very shameful. Instead of feeling embarrassed by the reality, you NLIU chaps will do well if you reflect on this serious issue, acknowledge the ragging culture, and tackle the problem. Trust me, if you can do it, you will look great and everyone will applaud NLIU. On the other hand, refusing to acknowledge the reality reflects very poorly on the institution and its students.
Please petition them to consider amending the Constitution on the model lines of North Korea or Iraq.
A rapist should be put behind bars even when the victim wants to remain anonymous for the fear of retribution and social ostracizing.
No victim, no evidence, no trial. Simply shoot the accused. Guilty until proven innocent.
PS: One incidental benefit of this outstanding system of natural justice will be that the society can get rid of lawyers once and for all.
Please understand that you do not have to defend your college at all costs. You will make NLIU proud if you acknowledge the ragging culture and condemn what is wrong. That is what great lawyers do - fight for justice.
If fake then what did college admin do against complainant for filing fake complaints?
If complaints are fake and no one showed up what about the rights of students who were debarred? Do this system only protects the right of one student?
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