Durgapur, Sept. 29: A second-year student of the National Institute of Technology has been arrested from his hostel here on charges of ragging.
A.C. Ganguly, director of NIT (deemed university), formerly the regional engineering college, filed an FIR soon after Himangshu Sarkar, a fresher in the information technology department, lodged a complaint, saying he could no longer bear the ?torture? by his seniors.
Swadesh Sarkar, of the electrical engineering department, is accused of ragging Himangshu last night. The NIT authorities have informed his parents and called a special board meeting to decide on his punishment.
Burdwan district superintendent of police .K. Singh said Swadesh will be produced in court tomorrow. ?We are also looking for four other students,? he added.
?Ragging is strictly prohibited in our institution. We have formed a proctorial committee comprising 30 faculties headed by a very senior professor to maintain a special vigil in the hostel buildings,? said Ganguly.
Himangshu, a resident of Ranaghat in Nadia, said the seniors frequented his hostel room and tortured him both physically and mentally.
?Since I joined NIT earlier this month, a section of second-year students led by Swadesh Sarkar repeatedly tortured me. Swadesh and two others came to me yesterday and took me to their hostel around 5 pm. Then, for two-and-a-half hours, I was beaten up. Around 7.30 pm, the hostel warden arrived on an inspection and they hid me in the bathroom. After the warden left, they started beating me up again. It continued till this morning,? he said.
Giving an example of the senseless torture, Himangshu said: ?They asked me my father?s name. When I told them, they beat me up. My fault was I did not add ?Mr? before my father?s name.?
Visibly shaken, Himangshu added that he was forced to salute his seniors, clean the toilet and the rooms in their hostel.
The fresher said he escaped from their clutches this morning and complained to the director. He complained of pain in his chest and abdomen today and was treated at the NIT medical unit.
He has not informed his parents, saying ?they will get nervous?.
