Calcutta HC stays suspension of 7 medical students on ragging charges

Kolkata, Nov 8 The Calcutta High Court on Friday put an interim stay on the suspension of seven medical students of state-run Burdwan Medical College & Hospital in West Bengal's East Burdwan district by the college council on charges of ragging.

A single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta observed that those seven students would be able to attend the classes but not enter the students’ hostel.

Justice Sengupta also observed that if these seven students faced any hurdle in attending the classes, they would be able to approach the local police station in the matter.

The next hearing of the matter has been scheduled for November 11.

Some students of Burdwan Medical College & Hospital lodged a complaint against these seven students accusing them of ragging. Acting on the complaint, the college council barred these seven students from attending classes or entering the students’ hostel.

Thereafter, these seven suspended students approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the decision of the college council.

On Friday, while arguing on behalf of the petitioners, the counsel for the petitioner and Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Kalyan Banerjee argued that the suspension decision was one-sided since it was without giving the seven accused students to put forward their version.

"The college council also did not inform the students about the exact charges of ragging that have surfaced against them. This is also a kind of threat culture," Banerjee argued.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also raised questions about the decision of the college council of state-run R.G. Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata to suspend 51 doctors on charges of "threat culture". She argued then that it is not the college council but the state Health Department that has the authority to suspend or terminate the services of doctors.

Source: IANS