Calcutta, June 4: A circular from the government has reminded institutions that they need to wake up to ragging and that it might land students in jail.

Technical education department secretary J. Sundersekhar wrote to the heads of educational institutions asking them to form committees to ensure the end of ragging.

The high court had earlier directed the government to enforce the Prevention of Ragging (in Educational Institutions) Act, 2000. According to the law, a student found guilty of ragging could be jailed for up to two years and fined Rs 20,000 or slapped with both.

The court had asked the government to ensure that the students were made aware of the new law. The institutions were asked to constitute committees comprising teachers and lecturers to look into complaints of ragging.

“Monday, I received a complaint from a student of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. I met the secretary of the technical education department and told him about the incident and the court order. He immediately issued the circular to the institution heads,” said Tapas Bhanja, the convener of the Forum for Lawyers’ Rights.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice A.K. Mathur had issued the anti-ragging directive following a petition by Bhanja about a year ago in the wake of reports of a series of ragging incidents in institutions across the state.

Bhanja had alleged that the state was not taking steps to implement the law against ragging. “Despite the central act to punish students guilty of ragging the state government never bothered to enforce it,” he said.

Medical college principal Jayashree Mitra said a panel has been formed to probe the ragging charge and the accused student showcaused.