The initial investigation into the death of a first-year student of Jadavpur University has revealed that the victim was paraded naked in the corridor of the second floor of the hostel minutes before he fell off from there and died. While sharing the details of the preliminary probe, Kolkata Police said that the teen was "sexually molested", news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.
The police have arrested 12 people so far in connection with the case and they include the current and former students of Jadavpur University who "had played active roles" in the entire episode. "The teen was definitely ragged and sexually molested. He was paraded naked in the corridor after he was forced to undress in room no. 70. We have evidence," the officer told PTI.
The questioning is still underway and on Tuesday, the police questioned the cook of the hostel to get a clear picture of the incidents that occurred on 9 August. The police said that two more students are summoned to appear before the investigators in connection with the probe.
Kolkata Police also mentioned a WhatsApp group that was created by one of the accused in order to misdirect the investigation. "Probe also revealed that those arrested had planned to misdirect police so that the ragging part could be concealed," the officer said.
As per the news platform India Today, a student union of Jadavpur University the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union (FETSU) has issued a statement claiming that certain activities on the campus can come under the definition of ragging.
"From multiple sources, the union has been informed of certain practices among departmental freshers and others which can also be defined as ragging," the statement read.
A 17-year-old student from the Bengali department of Jadavpur University died after falling from a second-floor balcony of the main boys' hostel on 9 August. The family of the victim has alleged that he was a victim of ragging and sexual harassment. The students of the university protested against the ragging in the university.
(With inputs from PTI)
