Pune:
A first-year engineering degree course student hailing from Mumbai who took admission at Zeal Education Society's Dnyanganga College of Engineering and Research in Narhe alleged ragging from her seniors and even called her parents to the college.
Acting on a complaint, the college immediately set up a three-member committee to inquire into the incident.
According to a few girls staying in the hostel of the engineering college, the alleged ragging took place on Saturday night, around 11.30 pm.
"I came to know through another girl the next day. The girl had called her father to the campus. Some political activists also came and raised a ruckus. They said that the girl was told to entertain some senior students by singing and dancing to item numbers. They said she was also asked to take off her jacket and imitate ramp models," a girl from the hostel said on condition of anonymity.
But the girl did not let the incident be. She told her father about the incident immediately and he, in turn, advised her to collect information such as the names of the seniors and even take pictures, if possible, of the girls who had entered her room. The next day her father arrived at the college along with a few activists and local policemen and demanded action against the senior girls for ragging his daughter.
College authorities said that when they made inquiries they found out that no ragging had taken place and the senior girls had entered the room just to make friends and do a bit of mischief. "When confronted, the junior girl clarified that she had not been ragged. She was asked her name and they jokingly asked her to sing songs. But girl was not made to dance, according to the statement she gave us.
She called up her father who advised her to take their pictures as a precaution and he came here to ensure no untoward incident takes place," said S M Katkar, director of the engineering college. He said the girl's father said a similar incident had taken place in Mumbai with one of his relatives and that's why the family did not want to take any risks.
According to Katkar, a three-member inquiry committee has been set up to inquire if the incident did take place and if the girl changed her statement either under pressure or due to panic. While no police case has been filed in this regard, students in the hostel are happy that the incident has at least led to seniors being afraid of ragging juniors as it might get them into trouble.
"I admire the girl's quick thinking and also her father's concern, he arrived immediately. Even if someone was thinking of ragging, now they will refrain from it," said a girl.