Shocking Ragging Incident: PSG College of Engineering Student Assaulted, Tonsured by Seniors in College Hostel

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: In a horrifying incident, seven engineering students from PSG College of Technology on Avinashi Road have been arrested by Peelamedu police for their alleged involvement in ragging, wherein a junior student was brutally attacked, disrobed, and had his head tonsured inside the college hostel. The victim, identified as Rubak Varma, a first-year engineering student from Tiruppur, fell prey to the assailants, who recorded the appalling act on their phones.

A second-year engineering student at PSG College of Technology, was reportedly subjected to an assault by his seniors, during which they also forcibly shaved his head.

The accused, namely Dharanitharan, Venkatesh, Madhavan, Mani, Ayyappan, Santhosh, and Yalish, were taken into custody following the incident that transpired on Monday, November 6. Among the accused, Dharanitharan and Venkatesh are second-year students, while Madhavan and Mani are in their third year. The remaining accused are in their final year of engineering.

The brutal attack unfolded when, on Monday evening, the accused students allegedly demanded money from Rubak Varma to purchase liquor. Upon his refusal, the accused reportedly subjected him to physical assault, forcibly bringing him to their room. Subsequently, he was purportedly confined until the following morning, enduring a harrowing ordeal during which he was stripped naked and his head was shaved using a trimmer. The entire act was allegedly recorded on the assailants’ phones.

After being released from captivity, Rubak Varma shared the gruesome details of the attack with his parents, who promptly traveled to Coimbatore and lodged a complaint with the college administration. Simultaneously, a formal complaint was filed against the seven accused students at the E2 Peelamedu police station. On the night of Tuesday, November 7, the police acted swiftly, apprehending the accused based on the filed complaint.

The accused students face charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful confinement, assault, and criminal intimidation. Additionally, they are charged under Section 4 of the Tamilnadu Ragging Prohibition Act 1997, which carries penalties of up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10,000.

This shocking incident underscores the pressing need for stringent measures to curb ragging within educational institutions, with authorities taking swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.