Ragging horror: Freshers were abused, forced to drink alcohol, smoke, stripped by seniors in Hyderabad's GMC

In a distressing incident that has sent shockwaves through Gandhi Medical College (GMC) in Hyderabad, ten senior students have been suspended following allegations of ragging. As per a TOI report, the unfortunate episode unfolded when 30 first-year students were summoned to the seniors' rooms around 2 am, subjected to various forms of harassment, and forced into acts that have left them traumatized.

During the harrowing ordeal, the freshers were coerced into consuming alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and even forced to strip down, sources with knowledge of the matter told TOI. To make matters worse, the seniors used derogatory language to taunt the juniors who had joined the institution only a mere two to three days earlier. This disheartening incident transpired approximately two weeks ago.

Dr. K Ramesh Reddy, Director of Medical Education (DME) for Telangana, confirmed the authenticity of these claims, stating that the victims had outlined these acts of ragging in their letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC). He unequivocally condemned the actions as a flagrant violation of human rights and declared that there is no possibility of the suspension being revoked.


Dr. Reddy emphasized the clarity of the situation, stating, "The freshers had identified the ten seniors during the anti-ragging committee’s meeting. And the latter even admitted to their role in the incident." He further added, "Also, given that the freshers had joined only a few days before the ragging happened, there is no chance of them having any animosity with the seniors. Hence, there's no reason to suspect foul play."

The victims initially brought their concerns directly to the attention of the UGC, which later communicated the matter to local authorities. Dr. Reddy explained, "We received a letter from UGC New Delhi’s anti-ragging committee that one of our students had complained about ragging happening in our hostels. This was all that was communicated to UGC by the student. Based on this intimation, we conducted a preliminary inquiry."

As the students began to feel assured of support from the college's anti-ragging cell, they started revealing details of the distressing incident. According to the officials, the freshers described being called into the seniors' room in two separate groups - one comprising ten students and another with twenty. They were subjected to foul language and other discomforting actions during their ordeal.

In addition to the physical and verbal abuse, the juniors were instructed to wear formal attire throughout the day and were prohibited from entering the library. The authorities at GMC are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of their students and are taking this incident seriously, as confirmed by Dr. Reddy.