Nagpur: An FIR was filed against four students of Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur, for allegedly ragging a junior student inside the university hostel. The police action triggered protests at the Waranga campus of the university and counter-allegations by senior students.Butibori cops registered an FIR on complaint of Prof Vijay Pratap Tiwari, proctor and head of the department of law, following a written request from the university in compliance with the UGC’s anti-ragging regulations.Cases were filed against two third-year and two fifth-year students under Sec 3 (Prohibition of Ragging) and Sec 4 (Penalty of Ragging) of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act 1999. A second-year BA LLB (Hon) student alleged he and other juniors were subjected to ragging in the boys’ hostel on the night of June 25.According to the complaint, first-year students were summoned to South Block hostel room between 11pm and midnight, where they were allegedly forced to introduce themselves in Hindi or their mother tongue. They alleged whenever juniors used English words during their introductions, they were abused, made to perform repeated squats, forced to utter obscene, sexually explicit phrases. The complaint alleges that the seniors intimidated the juniors.The complainant stated he is undergoing treatment for an anxiety disorder and suffered a panic attack during the incident. The complaint also refers to information received from other students alleging some freshers were kept in seniors’ rooms till 3am to dance and perform other activities, while another student was allegedly made to wear a makeshift saree fashioned from a bedsheet.Following registration of the FIR, the four students were called to Butibori police station and served notices. They allegedly were made to remain at the station overnight before being allowed to leave following morning. Hostel authorities said, initially, cops asked them to furnish a 1 lakh bond undertaking that they would not indulge in ragging in future. Sources said the university registrar later permitted them to execute the bond without a surety.Police denied detaining the students. Butibori police PI Nishant Meshram said a preliminary inquiry was conducted, and notices were issued to the accused.
