Students were allegedly forced to do 100 sit-ups for ‘disrespecting’ seniors (Representational)
Vadodara:
Two junior resident doctors of a medical college in Gujarat’s Vadodara were sacked and five third-year MBBS students were expelled from the hostel for their alleged involvement in ragging around 60 second-year MBBS students and forcing them to do 100 sit-ups, college officials said Monday.
The state government has ordered a probe into the ragging allegations in the college.
Appointments of junior doctors, attached with orthopaedic and surgery departments, were terminated with immediate effect following the ragging incident in the early hours of Saturday last week in which a student vomited and collapsed and had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment, said Dr Varsha Godbole – the Dean of Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society’s (GMERS) Gotri Medical College.
The college, affiliated to the MS University of Vadodara, is run by GMERS, a society registered with the state government’s Health and Family Welfare department.
Taking serious note of the incident, the anti-ragging committee of the college terminated the services of the two junior resident doctors and decided to expel the five third-year MBBS students from the hostel, she said.
The panel took the decisions after multiple meetings following the incident, Dr Godbole said.
A decision on whether to allow the five students to complete their academic term will be taken in subsequent meetings, she said.
The Vadodara police, in a release, said that an inspector attended a meeting of the anti-ragging committee held on Monday.
The committee will prepare a report regarding the incident and an FIR will be lodged accordingly, the police said.
According to Dr Godbole, the incident occurred at around 4 am when around 60 second-year MBBS students were forced out of their beds by a group of third-year students at the behest of two junior doctors and a former student and made to stand in lines and do 100 sit-ups.
The second-year MBBS students were made to do this as a punishment for being “disrespectful” by not fetching milk pouches for their seniors when asked to do so, she said.
“During the sit-ups, one of the students started vomiting and fainted, and had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. He has been traumatised and is being counselled,” she said.
“We have taken the matter seriously and ordered a probe. Strict action will be taken against all those found involved in the ragging incident,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Manoj Aggarwal.
14 police personnel have been deployed in the college for security, Inspector RC Kanamiya said.
The police will investigate the role of former students after the committee submits its report, RC Kanamiya said.
