Bharati Vidyapeeth suspends 2 seniors

PUNE: Amid the raging controversy over ragging in the city, the management institute of the deemed Bharati Vidyapeeth university has suspended two senior students on charges of ragging.
A notice put up by the director of the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development (IMED), M.S. Prasad, said Salil John and Gaurav Dutta have been suspended until a final decision is taken by the disciplinary action committee.
However, the notice, put up on July 25, was removed soon after this correspondent visited the institute’s Paud road campus on Thursday and made inquiries with the director.
Both Salil and Gaurav are senior students doing their Masters in Computer Application (MCA). An official source said the disciplinary action committee, which was scheduled to take a final decision on July 28, has postponed the matter. “The suspended students have been allowed to attend classes until then,� the source added.
Although Prasad confirmed the ragging, he refused to divulge details saying, “This is purely an internal matter and the press should keep off.� Vice-principal of the Bharati Vidyapeeth-affiliated Poona College of Pharmacy, K.R. Mahadik, said there was no ragging incident involving his students.
While the disciplinary action was initiated following complaints by two first year students of B. Pharm, it is not yet known if further action has been taken by the disciplinary committee of the college.
The victims, both hostelites, have stated in their complaints that a group of six to eight seniors had ragged them on July 12 at the hostel between 9.30 pm and midnight.
“The juniors were not only asked uncomfortable questions, but were also told to remove their shirts,� official sources at the institute confirmed.
The sources said the disciplinary committee is also investigating the possibility of more senior students involved in the ragging incident.
First-year B. Pharm students of the pharmacy college said they have been strictly warned by the principal not to publicise the case.
Students, both from the IMED and the pharmacy college, admitted that they had heard about the ragging incident, but said they were unaware about what kind of action had been taken.
“We only read in the notice that these two students have been temporarily suspended,� said a second year student doing her MCA.