Chennai:
A BSc Emergency and Trauma Care student at the Ramachandra medical University near Chennai committed suicide on Monday and was found dead hanging in her hostel room.
The police have found a suicide note in which the 19-year-old girl, a second year student, alleged harassment by a senior in the hostel. The student she named has been arrested by the Chennai police on abetment charges.
"From our inquiry, it is not the case of ragging. Normally ragging happens when a fresher comes in. They were living in the hostel in nearby rooms and there seems to be a problem between the two. We have an anti-ragging system in place. No complaint was registered before this," the spokesperson for the university, Nallamuthu said.
The parents of the girl have alleged that it was a case of ragging, but the police say they suspect "personal enmity". A senior officer told NDTV, "We suspect a relationship issue triggered this tragedy and we have not yet invoked the anti-ragging law yet".
Though harassment of a second-year student by another senior could technically amount to ragging, experts say there could be exceptions. Speaking to NDTV, former CBI Director Dr R K Raghavan, who framed recommendations to curb ragging in colleges said, "If clear motive could be established for this kind of an act, then conventional law would take over".
Police say they are treading carefully and they would follow due process if any evidence of ragging emerges.