Two months after he was ragged and brutally assaulted in a Bengaluru college, Ameen has not yet mustered the courage to go back to college. Although, days after the assault, Ameen had all intentions to go back to East Point College, he and his family fear that he would be harmed again if he returns to the campus.
“I’m afraid to send him back. What if the senior students decide to exact revenge on him for filing a complaint against them? Yet, the principal of the college called us and asked him to join classes again,” Laila, Ameen’s mother, told TNM.
According to Ameen, a total of 16 seniors assaulted him, but he knew the names of only six, and he named them in the complaint. The police were able to catch only one person and the rest of the students are suspected to be at large. The arrested student, too, is now out on bail.
While further police action is not expected in the case, Laila is also disappointed that the accused students were not taken to task by the college. With the college yet to suspend those who have been named in the complaint filed by Ameen, the family feels there is no sense of security while they contemplate his return to the college.
Ameen, who dreamt of pursuing a career in aviation, came to Bengaluru with stars in his eyes. He was here to study business administration, after completing a degree in physics previously. He enrolled himself into East Point College in July this year, dreaming of a bright future.
However, within three months of attending college, he began to be subjected to ragging. On October 15, he was beaten brutally by a group of seniors from his college.
Laila says all that she hopes now is that the college returns his certification and fees. “Ameen’s father passed away when he was 6. I took a loan of Rs 1 lakh to pay half of the fees. If I have to send him for another course, I need the money back,” she says.
The college, however, seems to be increasingly flippant. TNM contacted Vijay Bhaskar, the Principal of East Point College, to comment. However, he immediately disconnected the call as soon as he heard the word “ragging”. He refused all subsequent calls.