Southern States - Kerala   

Women nursing students complain of ragging in T.N. college

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM FEB. 18. Four women students of Kerala have dropped out of a B.Sc. nursing course offered by a college in Dharmapuri complaining of severe ragging by senior students and harassment by the college authorities.

The students - Alphons Maria, Divya Elizabeth, Misha and Sabna, hailing from northern Kerala, told a press conference here today that they secured admission to the Padmavathy College of Nursing in December 2002 by paying Rs. 80,000 as annual fee. Only later they discovered the classes were handled by the seniors. When the girls wanted to leave for home on December 18, they were asked by the staff and their seniors to come back with money and food items. The college principal, allegedly asked Alphons Maria to part with a gold necklace before leaving. When she returned to the college a few days later, but without the money, she was subjected to brutal ragging. In a petition to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the girl described the acts of sexual harassment she was subjected to. The three other students said that they were subjected to physical and mental torture — being asked to do "comical acts" or bring money. One of them was asked by her tutor to hand over her gold chain to pass an examination.

The distraught girls said that the college authorities did not allow them to leave the hostel or communicate with their parents. Their parents who came were also made to wait for four days. Only after they approached the District Collector the girls were able to come out of the hostel. Also, the college authorities were demanding full fee for four years to return their certificates. The Dharmapuri Superintendent of Police had promised to take action on their complaint.

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