In a shocking case of ragging, three first-year students at Government Nursing College in Kottayam, Kerala, have come forward with harrowing accounts of physical and psychological torture at the hands of their seniors. Their complaint to the Kottayam Gandhinagar police has led to the arrest of five third-year students, bringing to light months of relentless abuse.
A Nightmare of Torture and Humiliation
The victims, all from Thiruvananthapuram, revealed that their ordeal began in November 2024 and lasted nearly three months. They described being stripped naked and subjected to inhumane punishments, including having dumbbells tied to their private parts. The abuse escalated further as sharp objects like geometry box compasses were used to stab them, leaving them battered and bloodied.
Pain Inflicted for Entertainment
According to the police, the seniors did not just stop at physical assault. In a twisted act of cruelty, they applied lotion to the wounds of the victims, intensifying their pain. When the students screamed in agony, the seniors forcibly smeared the lotion into their mouths, mocking their suffering. The horror was reportedly filmed, and the victims were threatened with severe consequences if they dared to report the abuse.
Extortion and Alcohol-Fueled Exploitation
Beyond physical torture, the accused also forced their juniors to provide them with money every Sunday, allegedly to buy alcohol. Any student who refused to comply was beaten. The psychological trauma, combined with the physical torment, pushed one of the victims to break his silence. He confided in his father, who encouraged him to approach the police, leading to the exposure of this gruesome ragging episode.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigation
The five accused students have been taken into custody and are expected to be presented before a magistrate soon. The college administration has also taken disciplinary action by suspending the accused students. Police are further investigating to determine if more students were involved in or subjected to such abuse.
A Disturbing Trend of Bullying and Ragging
This incident comes on the heels of another tragic case in Kerala, where a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kochi died by suicide. His mother alleged that he had been a victim of relentless bullying, which pushed him to take his own life. The increasing frequency of such incidents highlights the urgent need for stricter anti-ragging enforcement and greater awareness in educational institutions.
Authorities and student welfare organizations are now calling for stricter action to prevent such horrors from recurring, ensuring that campuses remain places of learning and safety rather than fear and suffering.
