Dumbbells hung from private parts: Shocking ragging horror at Kerala Nursing College; 5 arrested

PTC Web Desk: A shocking case of ragging has emerged from Government Nursing College in Kottayam, Kerala, where five third-year students have been arrested for allegedly subjecting their juniors to severe physical and mental abuse for nearly three months. The incident came to light after three first-year students from Thiruvananthapuram lodged a formal complaint with the Kottayam Gandhinagar police, detailing the horrific ordeal they endured from November 2024 onwards.

According to the complaint, the victims were forced to stand naked while dumbbells were hung from their private parts. The accused also inflicted injuries using sharp objects, including geometry box compasses. In a further act of cruelty, the seniors applied lotion to the wounds, causing extreme pain. When the victims cried out, the lotion was forcefully smeared into their mouths. The tormentors allegedly recorded these acts on video and threatened to ruin the juniors' academic careers if they reported the abuse.

The complaint also revealed that the seniors regularly extorted money from the juniors on Sundays to purchase alcohol. Those who refused were brutally beaten. One of the victims eventually confided in his father, who encouraged him to approach the police. The subsequent investigation led to the suspension of the accused students and their arrest under the Anti-Ragging Act. They are currently in police custody and are expected to be presented before a magistrate on Wednesday afternoon.

This incident follows a tragic case in Kochi, where a 15-year-old schoolboy died by suicide, allegedly due to severe ragging. The boy’s mother claimed that the harassment he faced from seniors drove him to take this extreme step.