The bail granted to four students accused of ragging medical student Aman Kachru, leading to his death last year, is a setback to the anti-ragging campaign, the victim’s father said Sunday.
‘The prosecution has not taken my son’s case seriously. It was a setback for the campaign against ragging,’ Rajendra Kachru told reporters.
‘I am highly disappointed by the court ruling. It certainly gives a wrong message,’ he said.
A fast-track court here granted bail to the four accused of ragging first year medical student Aman. The 19-year-old died March 8, 2009, a few hours after being allegedly ragged by four final-year students of the Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda town in Kangra district.
‘All the four accused students were granted bail by the fast-track court of Purinder Vaidya as all the witnesses in the case have been examined by the court,’ a lawyer connected with the case told IANS.
The judge said since the statements of the witnesses have been recorded and material evidence taken into account, the accused were given bail on a bond of Rs.50,000 each.
The next hearing in the case is Aug 2.
On Rajendra Kachru’s allegations that there were several loopholes in the case, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said: ‘The loopholes, if any, would be look into. Nobody is above law. Justice will be delivered.’
The four students – Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma – accused of assaulting Kachru were arrested soon after the crime. They face murder charges under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
The state government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of Kachru, which concluded he died to injuries sustained in ragging.
The inquiry report said many first-year students, including Kachru, were subjected to intense physical ragging in the early hours of March 7.
‘Kachru collapsed and died due to injuries which the post-mortem report has linked to the incident of ragging,’ said the report, holding college principal Suresh Sankhyan responsible for the lapses.
Sankhyan had resigned from the post after the incident.
After Kachru’s death, the state government passed an anti-ragging Act, making ragging a cognisable, non-bailable offence compoundable with the permission of the court. Any student convicted of an offence can be punished with up to three years jail or fine of up to Rs.50,000 or both.
