A first-year student of a polytechnic college in north Calcutta has lodged a complaint with the UGC’s anti-ragging helpline alleging harassment by senior students.

The UGC passed on the complaint to the college’s principal-in-charge last week.

The first-year student of North Calcutta Polytechnic College pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering wrote to the UGC that he had been “continuously bullied and verbally harassed” by the department’s senior students.

The UGC communication to the college stated: “The victim has been continuously bullied and verbally harassed by senior students (second-year and third-year). According to the victim, the accused has threatened him, taken introductions regularly, forced him to do push-ups and touched him badly.”

“Introduction” is a form of ragging and is a popular term on campuses.

The February 12 communication also said: “You are requested to identify and counsel the victim so that he feels safe and is assured that the institution stands with him, and that appropriate action will be taken on the complaint. Please ensure that the identity of the victim is not disclosed.”

Calls and text messages to Swarup Kar, the principal-in-charge, went unanswered.

Kar has already written to the Cossipore police station to lodge an FIR.

Police sources stated that an anonymous call was made to the UGC helpline, based on which the college has filed the FIR.

During the investigation, the police found that the alleged incident took place on January 12, during the fresher’s welcome at the electrical department.

After the complaint emerged, the welcome for the first-year civil department students was called off.

Officers from the Cossipore police station have visited the campus several times. They have also recorded statements of students who attended the January 12 event.

In August 2023, the higher education department mandated that all application forms for admission, enrolment, and registration must include an affidavit. This document compels students and parents to acknowledge the prohibition of ragging, understand the prescribed penalties, and pledge that the student will not engage in any form of ragging.

The online undertaking must be submitted by the applicant and parents every academic year.

The circular was issued due to a rise in brutal ragging cases.

“The recurrence of a complaint suggests that the menace still lurks on Bengal campuses,” an education department official said.