Over 200 protesters gathered outside the KEM Hospital on January 18, 2022, demanding action against the Dean and hostel warden, while decrying the severe delay in investigations into and resolution of a caste-based ragging incident.

People from the Mahar community, the Dalit Panther Suvarnamahotsav Samiti, the Forum against Oppression of Women and youth fronts observed a silent protest on Tuesday, two days after the police registered the complaint of a 24-year-old medical student who was allegedly verbally and physically abused by other hostel boarders due to his caste.

According to the FIR, the youth Sugat Padghan faced severe ragging and casteist slurs since 2019 from 16 persons, including 12 medical students in the hostel and two doctors working at the hospital. Padghan spoke about how his roommates joined in the torture and even the warden of the hostel told him to maintain a “distance” when speaking. He was also not allowed to use the common clothesline and forbidden from entering the warden’s house while others made regular visits.

Condemning all this, protesters demanded that the Deans and wardens since 2019 should also be listed as co-accused in the case for not reporting the incident to police on April 10, 2019 when Padghan first voiced his grievance.

The survivor was finally able to get closer to some amount of justice and avenue for redressal when he approached the State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in December 2021 as a third-year student with the help of Jaati Ant Sangharsh Samiti leader Subodh More. After a month’s delay, the police charged the accused under section 3 of the SC and ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 1989, section 4 of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999 and other IPC sections such as intentionally insulting a person to provoke and criminal intimidation.

The hospital claimed that they conducted two investigations but could not verify Padghan’s accusation. In response, More said the committee meetings did not record his information and concerns when he attended one of the virtual meets.

“In the first place, the anti-ragging committee was made after these incidents happened. This is a violation of UGC laws. The Dean is lying about the committee report,” said More.

As of January 19, Dean Sangeeta Rawat said the hospital has handed the reports over to the police and will act as per police direction. She maintained that the hospital conducted their investigation. Meanwhile, Bhoiwada ACP Sangita Patil said police investigations are on-going. Protesters demanded that until the matter is concluded, Padghan should receive police protection.

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The post Did KEM Dean, hostel wardens enable caste-based ragging and atrocities?  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Mahar community members and civil society groups will gather outside KEM hospital in Mumbai on January 18, 2022 to condemn the harassment and ragging of a student hailing from a Scheduled Caste (SC) who is facing caste-based atrocities at the hostel since 2019.

The youth was a student of the Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas (GS) Medical College. He reported that 16 persons, including 12 medical students living in the KEM hostel and two doctors working at the hospital have constantly attacked him since 2019. After seeking the help of Jaati Ant Sangharsh Samiti leader Subodh More, he managed to lodge a complaint with the police that charged the accused under various clauses of section 3 of the SC and ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, 1989, section 4 of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999 and other IPC sections such as intentionally insulting a person to provoke and criminal intimidation.

According to his complaint, the youth’s roommates persistently verbally abused him by using castesist slurs and forced him to do odd jobs for them like cleaning utensils and washing clothes. The individual sent a letter to the hospital dean and other authorities many times through the years. However, he claimed his complaints were dismissed. In the FIR, the youth spoke about how even the warden participated in the harassment. The authority figure kept him from using the same amenities as the other students such as the clothesline and told the youth to maintain a distance while talking. He also threatened the 24-year-old not to come near his house while others in the hostel were invited to his place.

However, members of the community were disheartened to see the Bhoiwada police’s continued inaction, even a month after the 24-year-old medical student complained of torturous treatment in the hostel.

According to The Free Press Journal and the Hindustan Times, two Deans between 2019 and 2022 told the media that an anti-ragging committee was started twice to investigate the accusations. On both counts, the committees found nothing.

However, More, who was a part of the committee meetings said that the committees failed to record his concerns and views during the talks. He further stated that as per anti-ragging laws, a committee should have already been functioning when the youth started living in the hostel. However, the committee was formed late. He also criticised the college authorities because as per UGC guidelines and anti-ragging law, the allegations should have been reported to the police within 24 hours.

The youth finally approached the State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as a third-year post-graduate student around December 21, 2021. His first complaint was filed on April 10, 2019. A month after approaching the state-level body, the police filed an FIR against the accused but to little avail.

“Even four days after reporting the incident, police did not question any of the accused. This could’ve been another Payal Tadvi case,” said More.

He referred to the death of Dr. Payal Tadvi, who hailed from a Scheduled Tribe (ST), who worked as a resident doctor at BYL Nair hospital but died after severe harassment due to her community origins. Her institutional murder was widely condemned across Maharashtra.

For this reason, More has called for a silent protest outside the hospital on Tuesday. He called upon all students, civil society groups, Ambedkarite movement, activists and journalists to join the protest while following Covid norms.

Related:

HRW World Report 2022 showcases India’s worsening Human Rights situation
Dalit man forced to enter and clean sewer in Gujarat
Dalits and Adivasis suffered violence and discrimination even in 2021
Two young Dalit girls attacked, where is the outrage?

The post KEM Hospital accused of atrocities against SC students appeared first on SabrangIndia.