http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=97068
SPA gives new side to ragging story
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2004 03:02:26 AM ]
NEW DELHI: This is the real "ragging" that took place at the School of
Planning and Architecture (SPA) a few days ago.
Unlike reported in a city newspaper, one student was told to "imagine
that the dog was his girlfriend and talk about sex with her" while two
more were asked to act out a "sex scene" by three seniors of the
Planning department.
This came out in the anti-ragging committee's finding, informed a senior
SPA faculty member.
The freshers quite rightly shrugged off the suggestion as ridiculous,
and were abused verbally by the raggers.
One fresher then gave a written complaint to the SPA authorities who
suspended the three seniors and fined them Rs 10,000 each.
"No one was forced to have sex with any animal or human here. This is an
absurd and inconceivable thing," said a senior architecture student of SPA.
The Dean of Studies, T M Vinod Kumar, on Thursday denied having said
that students had been forced to do what was reported. He said that he
was asked "if an incident of ragging had taken place and if action had
been taken."
Both were 'true' and he confirmed it. However, it was nothing as
"exaggerated" as was made out to be.
Meanwhile the Students Council and SPA have strongly condemned the
"misleading report." SPA director Subir Saha, however, refused to
comment any further on the issue.
A meeting was called by the joint secretary (technical) at the Ministry
of Human Resource Development, Ravi Mathur, on Thursday to discuss the
"reported incident" with the SPA authorities.
Mathur, also sent a letter to the director of SPA asking for a "thorough
investigation" and giving "exemplary punishment to students responsible
for the same."
The letter further states: "The ministry would like you and the Dean to
personally interview each and every student of the 1st year in camera
and individually enquire about the facts of this case." The ministry has
asked for a report by Tuesday.
A police team was also sent to SPA on Thursday morning to "investigate
the incident."
Police sources confirmed to The Times of India that "nothing as had been
reported" took place.
The police gave a clean chit to the institute after conducting an
extensive inquiry.