HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Dec 5: Rahul Chetry, the prime accused in the Dibrugarh University student Anand Sharma ragging case, surrendered before the police on Monday.
After remaining hidden for eight days, Rahul Chetry finally surrendered before Lekhapani police station in Tinsukia on Monday morning.
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Rahul, who is a former general secretary of the Dibrugarh University Post-Graduate Students’ Union (DUPGSU) surrendered at the Lekhapani police station in Tinsukia district, close to his hometown Ledo around 6:30 am.
He was brought to the Dibrugarh police station around 9 am by a police team from Dibrugarh covering a distance of 115 km.
He was interrogated at the police station by top police officials including the DIG (North-East range) Jitmol Doley. Chetry was later produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate by Dibrugarh police. The Court sent him to five-day police custody.
Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra said, “Rahul Chetry was hiding in Arunachal Pradesh. We were continuously in touch with his family members and acquaintances to pressurise him to surrender. From our sources we came to know that he will surrender today. Our police team was already there in Tinsukia. He was brought to Dibrugarh after surrender. We had sought five days police custody of Rahul Chetry as it was required for proper investigation and the Court has allowed it.”
When asked about Rahul Chetry’s statement to the media after surrendering that he was not involved in the Dibrugarh University ragging incident, the SP said, “As per statement of the victim and the evidence we have, he was involved in the ragging incident. We are acting on evidence. Investigation is still underway. If any other victim of ragging or witnesses wants to give evidence or lead they can personally contact me on this number – 6026901300.”
Earlier speaking to the media shortly after his surrender, Chetry had claimed that he was not involved in the ragging incident.
“I was not involved in the ragging incident. I was compelled to go into hiding as I feared for my life. The media had continuously focussed my name and I feared that somebody may kill me or I may become a victim of a police encounter. Now I have decided to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and clear my name,” Chetry said.
Meanwhile, Anand Sharma’s mother and two sisters have demanded strict punishment for Rahul Chetry.
Reacting to Rahul Chetry’s surrender, Manisha Sharma, the elder sister of Anand Sharma said, “When I told my brother about Rahul Chetry’s surrender in the morning, he told me that it was Rahul Chetry who tortured him the most. He told me that he tried to strangulate my brother and also kicked him on his private parts apart from inflicting other physical torture. Due to the strangulation my brother is facing difficulty in swallowing food. He is now being fed with tubes.”
With Rahul Chetry’s arrest, the total number of arrests in the Dibrugarh University ragging case has risen to seven. The police had earlier arrested six senior students of Dibrugarh University namely Niranjan Thakur, Simanta Hazarika, Pranjit Boruah, Subhrajyoti Baruah, Dibyajyoti Gogoi and Kalyan Dutta in connection with the case. They have been booked under section 120B (criminal conspiracy), 341 (wrongful restraint), 395 (dacoity) 307 (abetment of suicide) and 143 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC.
On November 27, Anand Sharma, a first semester M.Com student of Dibrugarh University was critically injured after he jumped from the second floor of his hostel to “escape” brutal ragging by his seniors. The same day Anand Sharma’s mother Sarita Sharma had lodged an FIR at Dibrugarh police station against several senior students of Dibrugarh University accusing them of torturing her son mentally and physically, attempting to kill him, looting his money and snatching away his mobile, taking objectionable photographs by placing alcohol bottles and weed (ganja) in his hand.
The FIR named five students namely Rahul Chetry (ex-student and former general secretary of Dibrugarh University), Dibyajyoti Gogoi, Subhrajyoti Baruah, Niranjan Thakur and Kalyan Dutta and “several others”. Though only five students were personally named in the FIR, during police investigation it came to light that several other senior students were also involved in the ragging incident which led to some more arrests.
Meanwhile, a magisterial inquiry into the case is being conducted by additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Sanghamitra Baruah.
On the other hand, education minister Ranoj Pegu on Monday paid a visit to Anand Sharma to inquire about his health condition.
Speaking to media persons, Ranoj Pegu said, “Today, I met Anand Sharma and his health is better. He told me that now he was better and tomorrow he will be shifted to the cabin from the ICU. We have instructed the Dibrugarh University to take strict action and it will be taken.”
