Tuesday, the director of IIT Kharagpur filed a report to the Calcutta High Court in a sealed cover outlining the actions the institution had taken after learning of what the court perceived to be an obvious example of “ragging.”
In a case involving the death of third-year student Faizan Ahmed, who was discovered dead in a dorm room on campus on October 14, the court had requested the report.
The Kharagpur Town police also provided a report about the status of the investigation into the deceased under a sealed cover.
On November 9, the court gave the director until November 22 to provide a report outlining the actions it had taken in response to the Supreme Court’s directives about an assimilation programme on campus that Faizan’s family has referred to as “collective ragging.”
According to IIT sources, the institute’s response was limited to stopping the event (assimilation programme) and notifying the complainants of the actions taken, according to the article.
According to the director V.K. Tewari report, Faizan was happy with the actions the hostel administration made.
Text messages and phone calls to the director went unanswered.
According to the suit filed by Faizan’s parents, he turned down the “assimilation programme” in February and March in the Rajendra Pratap Hall of Residence. Faizan was then in his second year.
Faizan moved to the Lala Rajapt Rai hostel about two and a half months ago without telling the authorities, an IIT employee claimed.
The judge gave the attorneys representing Faizan’s parents copies of the reports and instructed them to submit their responses by November 28.
On November 30, the subject will be heard once more.
According to sources at the IIT, the institute allegedly got a complaint of a brawl involving second, third, and fourth year students in early February.