Engineering student driven to depression by ragging, college asked to refund Rs 2.42 lakh fee

Ragging news: The Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a Bengaluru engineering college to refund the Rs 2.42 lakh fee of a computer science student who suffered “harassment and humiliation” and returned home within weeks in 2018 due to ragging by his seniors, holding that he was “compelled” to leave.

“The student suffered harassment and humiliation at the hands of his seniors in the hostel, where he went into depression, and due to ragging by his seniors, he was compelled to leave his studies. This fact has not been challenged by the appellants, and the appellants failed to rebut the case,” the commission said on May 8.

The student faced ragging and suffered harassment from his seniors, said the Haryana Consumer Commission. (Image generated using AI)

No fallacy

This commission has arrived at an inescapable conclusion that no fallacy, legal or factual, has been committed by the district consumer commission while passing the order dated November 25, 2019.

The order dated November 25, 2019, passed by the district consumer commission is affirmed, maintained and upheld.

The present appeal is dismissed as being devoid of merit.

The statutory amount of Rs 25,000 deposited by the appellants (engineering college) at the time of filing of this appeal, be disbursed to the student.

Admission through COMEDK

The dispute traces back to 2018 when the student, a resident of Ambala, cleared the COMEDK UGET 2018 entrance examination, securing Rank 28,204.

Based on his rank, he secured admission to the BE Computer Science programme at AMC Engineering College in Bengaluru.

As part of the admission process, he deposited various charges, including admission fees, tuition fees, hostel fees and examination fees.

In total, he paid Rs 2.42 lakh to the institution and submitted his original academic certificates.

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The complaint stated that he attended classes regularly and maintained full attendance during the initial months after joining the college.

Allegations of ragging, harassment

According to the complaint, the student’s experience soon took a troubling turn due to ragging.

He alleged that senior students in the hostel subjected him to repeated ragging, humiliation and intimidation.

The harassment and ragging, he claimed, became so severe that he slipped into depression, stopped studying and eating properly, and lived under constant fear.

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The complaint further stated that because of threats from seniors, he remained silent and did not disclose the situation even to his parents.

The student alleged that despite assurances given at the time of admission that the institution maintained a ragging-free environment, no effective measures were taken to prevent the harassment.

Father finds son in distress

The situation came to light after the student’s father received a phone call from the college informing him that his son was unwell.

When he travelled to Bengaluru and reached the hostel, he allegedly found his son in a state of fear and distress.

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According to the complaint, the student then disclosed that he had been subjected to continuous physical and mental torture by senior students.

His father brought him back to Ambala, where he underwent medical examination and treatment.

Doctors reportedly diagnosed him with a neurological disorder and advised his family to keep him under supervision and care.

The student subsequently discontinued his studies and did not return to the institution.

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Demand for refund, return of certificates

After leaving the college, the student and his family sought a refund of the fees paid and requested the return of his original educational documents, including Class 10 and Class 12 certificates, transfer certificate and migration certificate.

However, according to the complaint, the college refused to refund the amount and also failed to return the documents.

The matter was reportedly brought to the attention of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), but the student alleged that no action was taken.

Left with no alternative, he approached the district consumer commission at Ambala, alleging a deficiency in service by the institution.

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District commission rules in student’s favour

The college authorities did not appear before the district consumer commission despite receiving notice and were proceeded against ex parte in March 2019.

After examining the evidence, the district commission on November 25, 2019, directed the college authorities to refund Rs 2.42 lakh collected from the student, return all original academic certificates, issue transfer and migration certificates, pay Rs 5,000 as compensation for mental agony and physical harassment, and Rs 3,000 towards litigation expenses.

The commission also directed that the amount would carry interest at 9 per cent per annum from February 11, 2019, if the order was not complied with within the stipulated period.

State commission finds no reason to interfere

Challenging the order, AMC Engineering College and its officials approached the state commission. The appeal was filed with a delay of 29 days, which was condoned by the commission before examining the merits of the case.

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After hearing the matter, the state commission noted that it was undisputed that the student had taken admission, deposited the required fees and handed over his original academic documents to the institution.

The commission further observed that the student’s allegations regarding ragging, harassment and humiliation had not been effectively challenged by the appellants.

Holding that the college had failed to rebut the student’s case, the commission concluded that the district commission had committed no legal or factual error in granting relief.

It consequently dismissed the appeal and upheld the entire award.

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Relief finally secured after years

In addition to dismissing the appeal, the state commission directed that the statutory deposit of Rs 25,000 made by the college at the time of filing the appeal be released to the student after due verification.

The ruling brings to a close a dispute that began with a young student’s dream of pursuing engineering but ended in allegations of ragging, psychological trauma and a prolonged legal battle.

Nearly eight years after leaving the college, the student has finally secured judicial affirmation of his claim and the right to recover the money and documents he said were wrongfully withheld.