Ragging gone bad: Dalit nursing student in Karnataka forced to drink toilet cleaner

On Tuesday, a 19-year-old Dalit nursing student from Kerala was in a critical condition after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) with serious stomach problems, reported Deccan Chronicle. She was reportedly forced to drink toilet cleaner by her seniors in another shocking case of college ragging. The student, identified as Aswathy, who hails from Pulluvanpadiyil near Edappal, is in the first semester of her nursing course at Al Qamar College of Nursing at Gulbarga, the Deccan Chronicle report adds. [caption id=“attachment_2847796” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image of Karnataka police. Getty images[/caption] Aswathy was reportedly ragged by a group of eight senior girls at the women’s hostel of the college on 9 May. After five days, her condition exacerbated and she was sent home by college authorities, reported The Times Of India. According to her relatives, the doctors suggested a major surgery because the chemicals from the toilet cleaner had severely damaged a part of her oesophagus. Aswathy had told a local TV channel, reported  International Business Times, that they weren’t allowed to eat or close the windows at night or to go home during vacations. She further said that the senior girls forced the juniors to drink toilet cleaner, and insert their fingers inside their mouth to purge all of it. Later, she had to be admitted to the hospital where she had to remain in the ICU for five days in Bengaluru. The girl, who belongs to a poor family, had taken an education loan to join college. Her uncle claims that she has been ragged since she joined college five months ago, The Times of India added. Awasthy’s mother has approached Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the DGP in Bengaluru demanding action against the seniors.