The cops initiated a case on ragging and murder charges against the institute's authorities, the accused, the survivor and his three friends.
Kolkata: The two students’ death due to suspected drowning in the Indian Maritime University (IMU) campus in Taratala two days ago took a dramatic twist when the family of one of the deceased lodged a ragging and murder complaint with the police against the student who had apparently survived the incident, along with few others.
The Taratala police initiated a case on ragging and murder charges against the institute’s authorities, the accused survivor and three friends. On May 5 afternoon, two second-year B. Tech students originally from Bihar died due to drowning in a pond inside the campus.
The deceased were Animesh Raj (20) from Shalimpur Ahra at Bolia in Gandhi Maidan and Anshu Shreevastav (20) from Hari Nagar in West Champaran. The two bodies were recovered later. Another student, Amit Kumar Jha, who was with Animesh and Anshu, later claimed to the police that the trio had gone to the pond to catch fish.
“According to Amit, Animesh and Anshu slipped and fell in the water. The duo died due to drowning as they did not know swimming. He said he survived because he knew swimming,” said a police officer. On Saturday, Anshu’s father Prakash Prasad lodged a written complaint against Amit and Anshu’s three room-mates with the police.
Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Meeraj Khalid said, “The complainant has alleged that the accused persons brutally beat his son and threw him in the pond resulting his death. The complainant suspects that the deceased might have been subjected to ragging.” He added, “A case under Section 302 and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code alongwith Section 4 of the West Bengal Prevention of Ragging at Education Institutions Act, 2000 has been recorded against the administration of IMU Kolkata campus, Amit and Anshu’s three room-mates.”
