Students asked to sing and dance whole night

Berhampur: A probe has been ordered after the first-year students of Berhampur University were allegedly asked to sing and dance throughout the night by their seniors in a hostel inside Bhanja Bihar campus from 11 pm to 5 am on Sunday.

The Berhampur University authorities swung into action after the UGC forwarded a ragging complaint of a first-year student to them. The UGC’s anti-ragging cell has directed the varsity to investigate the matter and submit a report at the earliest.

A first-year student alleged that about 15 of their seniors came to their hostel at about 11 pm on Saturday. The seniors asked the juniors various questions on the pretext of introduction and did not let them sleep before they left at 5 am on Sunday. They asked their names, address, hobby and other details. They then asked the first-year students to sing and dance throughout the night.

The victim students were so scared that they didn’t dare to reveal the incident of ragging to anybody immediately. However, one student dared to mail the incident to UGC Ragging Cell without naming anyone. Vice Chancellor in-charge Prof Sukant Kumar Tripathy directed a 12-member anti-ragging squad to investigate the allegation and submit a report at the earliest. “We have not yet found any evidence about the ragging allegation. The CCTV cameras in the hostel are being checked. Anyone found guilty will be handed out strict punishment,” Prof Tripathy said.

The anti-ragging squad members, led by Prof Tripathy, who is also the PG Council Chairman, met the first-year students and assured them of their safety.

The Anti-Ragging Committee and the Board of Residence held separate meetings at Old Syndicate Hall to discuss the issue in the presence of the Head of Departments, wardens and all the 16 hostel superintendents.

Warden Prof Sudhakar Patra directed the senior students not to venture into juniors’ hostels. He said various committees comprising students would be formed to maintain peace and harmony in the hostels.

Henceforth, the gate of boys’ hostels would remain closed from 10 pm to 5 am daily. The CCTV footage of the seniors’ hostel would be examined. Night patrolling would be intensified on the campus. The anti-ragging squad has been asked to regularly visit the hostels.