“He is still scared. Yesterday he called me and asked why I was speaking to the media. He wanted me to stop. But I won’t until ragging ends in all colleges,” said Lakshmana Perumal, father of one of the victims in the brutal ragging at the Government College of Nursing in Kerala’s Kottayam.
Lakshmana Perumal’s son was a first year general nursing student at the college. He along with five of his friends endured violent acts from five seniors for around three months. Despite his son’s request, Lakshmana has been giving media interviews. “This is a criminal offence. Nobody should suffer like this anymore in any college. That’s why I chose to escalate this issue and speak to the media,” Lakshmana said.
The video of the brutal ragging incident surfaced on social media on February 13. It shows a student, whose hand and legs are tied, being stabbed with a divider, dumbbells being placed on the private part and lotion poured over his body. According to Lakshmana, this incident occurred on February 9 and after this the students decided they would not tolerate anymore.
A police complaint was filed on February 10 and the next day the Gandhinagar police in Kottayam arrested five nursing students. The accused are Samuel Johnson (20) and Jeeva NS (18), Rahul Raj (22), Vivek NV(21), and Rijil Jith (20). While Samuel and Jeeva are second year students, others are into their third year in the college. All students have been suspended. Rahul is the state secretary of Kerala Government Nursing Student Association (KGNSA), an organisation affiliated to Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. Following the arrest KGSNA expelled Rahul, Vivek, Rijil, Samuel and Jeeva from the organisation.
The First Information Report (FIR) said the first incident of harassment occurred in November 2024 and that it continued until February. “Initially, they had a good rapport with the victims, saying juniors and seniors need to be friendly with each other. Then they began to ask for money. Initially it was small amounts like Rs 5 and Rs 10. Later they used to demand amounts as high as Rs 1,000,” alleged Lakshmana.
The FIR said the seniors threatened the students, extorted money from them, and assaulted them when they refused to give it. In one instance, one of them held a knife to threaten a junior, accusing him of not showing proper respect to seniors.
Lakshmana alleged that the accused seniors threatened them saying they would not be able to continue their studies if they complained. “My son’s dream was to be a nurse. He even had plans to go to Germany and had cleared a German language exam. He used to call us every day but never even hinted about what he went through. The accused threatened to kill them. That’s why they didn’t inform us or the teachers,” Lakshmana said.
Another parent TNM spoke to said her son was a minor when the assault happened. “He was just 17 when the incident occurred. This was the first time that he stayed away from home. During the time of admission, we inquired about ragging. However, all the teachers, including the principal, assured us that the campus was free of ragging,” she said.
The boy’s parents came across a photo on his son’s phone a month ago. It showed him sitting on a toilet wearing only underwear, with a white cream spread all over his body. “When we inquired about this, he said that his friends celebrated his birthday and that the photo was taken for fun on that day. However, we now know this was part of ragging by seniors,” said the boy’s father.
“Two days ago, we asked him why he hadn't shared anything with us. He replied that they were threatened. These children are experiencing harassment for the first time, so perhaps they are scared, which is why they didn't share,” the mother added
Speaking to the media, Dr Sulekha AT, the college principal stated that they were unaware of the incidents. “We informed the police as soon as we learned about it. We have a strong anti-ragging cell here. However, these students never reported this issue. The hostel’s assistant warden, who is a faculty, was not informed either. Security personnel at the hostel have also said they were unaware of any ragging incidents," she said.
Shahul Hamed, Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, said they are investigating whether there are more student victims. The police would also investigate any lapses on part of the college authorities, he said.
The perpetrators have been booked under sections 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt using a dangerous weapon or substance), 308(2) (extortion), and 351(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and sections 3 (prohibiting ragging in educational institutions) and 4 (punishment for participating in ragging) of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.
Health Minister Veena George said dismissal of students who perpetrated the crime would not be the end of the action. The Director of Medical Education has assigned a team to visit the college and inquire about the incident. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sought a report from the state police chief.