Three second-year postgraduate students from Pune’s BJ Medical College (BJMC) have been suspended and expelled from their hostel after allegedly ragging four junior doctors, college authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The action follows a formal complaint received by the college on Monday.
Dr. Eknath Pawar, Dean of BJMC, said the college took action after it received a complaint against three second-year PG students from the Orthopaedic Department, which is attached to the Sassoon General Hospital. “The parents of the students first approached Mantralaya (state secretariat) in Mumbai. On Monday, the college authorities received a complaint. We formed a committee to investigate the matter. Based on the findings, three PG students were suspended and removed from their hostel,” said Pawar. A probe is underway, he added.
Sources in the college indicated that the accused students targeted four junior medical students from their department and subjected them to mental and occasional physical harassment, including the use of intimidating language.
Recurring incidents raise concerns over campus safety
This incident is the latest in a series of ragging cases reported at BJMC over the past year, raising concerns about the institution's handling of such matters. In April last year, two first-year postgraduate female resident doctors from the Radiology and Anesthesiology departments filed separate complaints alleging harassment by senior doctors. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) took suo motu cognisance of these incidents and directed the college to submit a report. However, the college's internal inquiry concluded that no ragging had occurred, attributing the incidents to "minor disagreements."
Additionally, in December 2023, a New Year's Eve incident involving a liquor party at the male residents' hostel led to chaos, with some doctors reportedly breaking a glass door of the female residents' hostel. Two female residents lodged complaints, and the matter reached Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Despite the gravity of the situation, the college administration's response was criticised for being inadequate.
(With PTI inputs)
