In a serious case of ragging, a first semester nursing student from Al Qamar College of Nursing, Gulbarga has been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital(KMCH), her condition is said to be critical.
According to reports, Aswathi was ragged by her seniors, an eight-member gang who forced her to consume a toilet cleaner on May 9. The 19-year-old suffered severe burns in the internal organs. Following the incident, Aswathi complained of sickness when she was sent home by the college authorities. She has been in the hospital ever since.
In her statement to the police, the student claims that she was tortured for over five months. "I have been mentally tortured by my third year seniors in last five months. They told me that I am dark and that's why no one likes me and I am left without a father. They used to force me to keep my hands lifted up. They held my mouth open and forced me to drink toilet cleaning lotion."
A major surgery has been suggested by doctors since the chemicals in toilet cleaner have severely damaged a major portion of the gullet.
The college, however, denies the ragging allegation. "There is no ragging involved. The girl drank the phenol because of some family problems," said the nursing school Principal, Dr. Esther.
The family has filed a complaint, both Kerala and Karnataka have launched separate probes into the incident.
