Five undergrads arrested for ragging at Kelaniya University

Five undergrads arrested for ragging at Kelaniya University

Serious ragging procedures of a harassing nature on newcomers to a university had been in operation in Sri Lanka for quite a long time in a cruel manner. This procedure took place under political necessities of certain elements or under distorted mental conditions; but police intervention in such instances were few and far in between as such. Though the freshers bowed

down by carrying out all orders of their senior counterparts, suffering in the process, the situation has reached a stage where it should not be borne that way anymore. However it has now reached a stage where a solution to the issue has been found under the new Prohibition of Ragging Act.

Four senior female students and one male student who protested and reprimanded a certain female fresher of the Arts Faculty of the University of Kelaniya who came dressed in slacks to the campus  by addressing her in harsh words saying, "these are taboo to you until one year passes" were yesterday taken into police custody.

The said student has told police that four seniors who had approached her on a number of days during the months of last March and April with the intention of subjecting her to ragging had forced her to change her attire and when they were told that it could not be done, they had resorted to responding with obscene language and had even threatened her. The first complaint made by her was to Mr. Chaminda Abeysingha in charge of Student Activities of Kelaniya University. Subsequently what he had said was that seniors have no legal right to enforce or make threats of such a nature. He in turn had approached Kelaniya Police in the company of the petitioner and had lodged the complaint. Though this is an internal issue of the campus, since the police had the authority to intervene in this matter, the police had checked the necessary particulars of the said students and have taken measures to arrest them.

As there is a risk of diarrohea spreading around these days, the Kelaniya Campus has been closed. Therefore these four female students and the male student had been apprehended while they were in their homes. Thus they were taken into custody from police stations of Pitabeddara, Urubokka, Ruwanwella, Nittambuwa and Naranwala areas and subsequently handed over to Kelaniya Police. They are expected to be produced to Mahara Magistrate's Court today (6).