Patna, Jan. 27: The suicide of first year Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) student Sunny Kumar Raushan has just not stumped medicos and teachers of the institution. It has triggered posers on the degree of ragging at the premier college.

PMCH principal Dr N.K.P. Yadav vehemently stressed the word “ragging” was alien to the medical college campus but his students differed. In a hush-hush note, they said ragging was there, covertly.

“Though ragging does not take place at the college openly, it does happen at hostels at nights. The degree of ragging hinges on the sets of seniors. While some are generous and ask us to wash their utensils or clothes or stand in a position for several hours, others can ask us to dance naked,” a first year PMCH student told The Telegraph.

The student’s claim was in sharp contrast to his principal’s stand. Yadav said: “The charges of ragging are completely baseless. There has not been a single report of ragging at our college for the past several years. I can personally guarantee that,” said Yadav.

The principal was right, officially. The student was spot on, unofficially.

Newcomers expect ragging at PMCH. But not many of them take it offensively or report it to the college auth- orities.

“Ragging does happen at medical and engineering colleges. We come prepared for it. Some students are very touchy and cannot digest it,” said a junior doctor.

Explaining how ragging takes place at Dhanwantari and Jackson hostels at PMCH, he said: “In every room two juniors stay with a senior. The seniors behave like bosses and ask juniors to do everything for them. Also, seniors can ask juniors to do stupid things like removing their clothes and squat on the floor or dance. These things are not very regular but they do happen. Till a few years ago, when there was no blanket ban on ragging by the Supreme Court, these things were common inside the classrooms. Now the seniors rag juniors only at hostels at night,” he added.

Wondered how Sunny, who lived in a lodge at Mahendru locality and had nothing to do with hostels, was ragged? A student explained it.

“Many students live in private lodges, primarily to escape ragging. But they cannot save themselves from the prying eyes of seniors. Sunny was perhaps called at a hostel and was ragged by seniors. He could not handle the emotional and physical torture and killed himself,” the medico said.

Principal health secretary Amarjeet Sinha said the charges of ragging would be thoroughly investigated. “There is a complete ban on ragging in the country by Supreme Court. If probe establishes ragging forced Sunny to suicide, the guilty students will not be spared,” said Sinha.