Agartala: The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has dismissed a complaint of ragging filed against Anup Kumar Saha, Principal of Tripura Govt. Medical College (AGMC), and other officials, deeming the allegations “frivolous, false, and unjustified.”
The complaint, received on December 31, 2024, from the Society Against Violence and Education, a government-registered NGO, had sought immediate action and an FIR against the Principal for alleged failure to address ragging incidents.
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The NGO, represented by Rupesh Kar Jha, claimed to have received an anonymous distress message about ragging on November 7, 2024, from a first-year MBBS female student of AGMC, Tripura.
The student alleged that senior students from the 2nd and 3rd years ragged, abused, and humiliated her in the girls’ hostel. She even hinted that she would consider suicidal ideation if no one helped her.
The NGO stated it advised the victim to file a complaint with the UGC-operated anti-ragging helpline (Ref. No. TR-0008) and to change her hostel accommodation.
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The complaint specifically accused the AGMC Principal of failing to file an FIR within 24 hours of receiving information about ragging, as mandated by Clause 22.2 of the National Medical Commission Anti-Ragging Act, 2021, and Section 198 and 212 of BNS, 2023 (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, though the context implies a reference to a penal code concerning public servants and harbouring offenders).
The report also cited that AGMC accounted for four out of eight ragging complaints from Tripura in the last two years, suggesting a “systemic issue.”
Following the complaint, the THRC sought comments from all respondents, including the AGMC Principal, the Superintendent of Police, West Tripura, the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, and the District Magistrate & Collector, West Tripura.
In their responses, both the Director General of Police (DGP), Tripura (through AIGP Crime, enclosing a report from SDPO, NCC P.S.), and AGMC Principal Biplab Nath (Principal in-charge, and subsequently Anup Kumar Saha in his report) stated that they conducted inquiries into the allegations of ragging.
The police inquiry, which involved examining the in-charge of the girls’ hostel and ten first-year MBBS students, found no evidence of such activities or complaints from students against seniors.
The AGMC Principal’s report also indicated that upon receiving the complaint via UGC helpline (TR-0008), the Principal, faculty members, warden, and security personnel visited the hostels and interviewed students, but no one came forward to corroborate the online complaint.
Additionally, Anup Kumar Saha chaired a meeting of the anti-ragging squad on November 12, 2024. During this meeting, they decided to lodge an FIR and take strict action if they detected any ragging incident.
They held another meeting on November 14, 2024, and sent a report to the UGC anti-ragging helpline on November 20, 2024. The AGMC Principal’s report stated that their report satisfied the UGC.
The District Magistrate & Collector, West Tripura, also submitted an inquiry report, conducted by a team headed by an Additional SDM, which concluded that the “fact of the complaint does not appear to be true.”
Based on the thorough examination of the responses from all concerned authorities, the THRC concluded that the allegations made by the complainant were not justified.
The Commission noted that no student of AGMC came forward to lodge an allegation, which led them to find the complainant’s allegation frivolous, false, and unjustified.
Consequently, the THRC has disposed of the complaint petition, stating it has “no merit.” The authorities informed all concerned parties of the order.
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