Kerala: Dumbbells hung from private parts of freshers; ragging at nursing college

Five seniors have been suspended and arrested under the Anti-Ragging Act. This new ragging case comes weeks after a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kochi died by suicide due to bullying in his school. The student's mother alleged that her son was bullied by students and this drove him to take his life.

Also read: Kochi student’s suicide: Mother alleges ‘brutal ragging, forced to lick toilet seat’

New ragging incident

Now, a fresh ragging incident has come to light in a government nursing college in Kottayam, where three first-year students filed a formal complaint with the Kottayam Gandhinagar police against five seniors. They said that they had been subjected to a series of violent acts that began in November 2024 and continued for nearly three months.

According to the police, the first-year students were forced to stand naked while their seniors hung dumbbells from their private parts. The victims were also poked with sharp objects that included a compass from a geometry box.

Lotion was also applied to their wounds and when the students screamed in agony, the lotion was smeared on their mouths. The seniors who allegedly filmed these acts threatened the juniors that they would jeopardise their academic futures if they dared to report the abuse.

Also read: Gandhis, movie stars shocked over Kerala teenager’s ragging, suicide

Extorting money

The seniors also allegedly regularly extorted money from the juniors on Sundays to buy alcohol. If they refused they were beaten up and finally one student, who was not able to take the harassment any longer, informed his father. His father advised him to approach the police.

All five are currently in police custody and are expected to be produced before a magistrate by Wednesday afternoon.