Two days after the arrest of five senior students from the government nursing college in Kottayam, Kerala, for assaulting and extorting money from a first-year student, police are investigating whether more students were targeted.
A video of the incident surfaced on Thursday, prompting Kottayam SP Shahul Hameed to announce an investigation into who recorded and circulated it. The video showed the complainant tied to a cot, with seniors jabbing him with a sharp object, believed to be a geometry compass, and pouring lotion into his mouth. The victim’s cries could be heard, while the assailants were seen laughing.
“So far, only one student has complained. We are checking whether more students were tortured and will record their statements. We will also examine whether the hostel warden or authorities were involved,” said SP Hameed.
The complainant, who had endured ragging since November 16, revealed that the seniors initially extorted money through online transfers. On February 10, they allegedly held a knife to his neck for not showing “respect.”
The student informed the college authorities on February 11, leading to the arrest of the accused the same day. They have been charged with causing hurt, criminal intimidation, extortion, and violations of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.
The complainant’s father expressed shock, saying the family was unaware of the abuse until the day the complaint was made. He noted that other students had likely faced similar treatment but were too afraid to come forward.
The five arrested students, members of the Kerala Government Student Nurses Association (KGSNA), have been suspended. One of them served as KGSNA’s state general secretary. Unlike many nursing and medical colleges in Kerala, the Kottayam nursing college does not have political student groups such as SFI or KSU.
