Dalit girl ragging case: FIR against five students

Kozhikode: Five students of a nursing college in Karnataka have been booked in connection with the alleged ragging of a first-year Dalit girl student, who has been hospitalised here with severe stomach problems, police said.

The case was registered against Lakshmi of Kollam, Athira of Idukki and Krishna, Shilpa and Joe of Al Qamar College of Nursing at Gulburga, based on a statement from the 19-year-old victim, who is undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, Sub Inspector of KMCH Police Station, Habib said.

He said the girl had named only five of the eight seniors who were involved.

The SI said her condition was now stable.

A copy of the FIR had been sent to Gulbarga Police commissioner for further investigation into the matter, he said.

Police said the victim was allegedly forced to drink toilet-cleaning lotion by eight of her seniors, who are all from Kerala, on May 9.

Following the incident, she was admitted to a private hospital in Gulburga with serious stomach problems.

As her condition worsened after five days of treatment, she was sent back home along with another Keralite student.

The girl was then admitted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital, after which she was referred to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on June 2.

Doctors at KMCH had suggested a major surgery as the chemicals of the toilet cleaner severely damaged her food pipe following which she had been admitted to the ICU.

Cases were booked under various sections of IPC,including 307 (attempt to murder), 36 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 346 (wrongful confinement in secret) and various sections of SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, they said.