'Sexy Body' Taunts & Compass Stabs: Kerala Ragging Horror Caught on Camera, Disturbing Video Surfaces

Kottayam: A day after five students of a nursing college in Kerala ’s Kottayam were arrested for allegedly ragging juniors, Republic TV has accessed a shocking video exposing the brutal torture of a junior student in a horrifying act of ragging. The footage captures the terrifying ordeal, highlighting the continued menace of ragging on campuses despite stringent laws against it.

The visuals show the junior student lying on a bed, his hands and legs tied with a rope, his body covered in lotion, and screaming in pain as he is repeatedly pierced with a compass. The senior students inflicted multiple injuries while counting aloud, "one, two, three," mocking and taunting him by calling him a "sexy body."

Recorded by third-year students, the video captures the brutal act of ragging inside the boys' hostel, where first-year nursing students were targeted. 

WARNING: This video contains disturbing visuals. Viewer discretion is advised

Five students arrested in connection with the brutal ragging incident at a nursing college in Kottayam are currently lodged in district jail after being remanded by the court. The accused have been identified as Samuel Johnson (20), Rahul Raj (22), Jeev (18), Rijil Jith (20), and Vivek (21), with one of them reportedly holding a position in a nursing student organisation, police confirmed.

The arrests followed a case registered under the Prohibition of Ragging Act after complaints revealed that ragging had been ongoing at the institute—operating under the Government Medical College—for nearly three months. The accused have also been charged under Sections 118(1) (intentionally causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means), 308(2) (punishment for extortion), and 351(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. College authorities confirmed that the students have been suspended.

According to the complaint, ragging began in November last year, with senior students allegedly extorting money from juniors every Sunday to buy alcohol and subjecting them to physical abuse. On November 16, the accused reportedly forced a first-year student to transfer Rs 300 via Google Pay and hand over Rs 500 in cash under threats, which was then used to purchase alcohol.

The incident has sparked outrage, with student organisations across the state condemning it as barbaric. SFI state secretary P M Arsho asserted the organisation’s firm stance against ragging, stating that the accused had no links to SFI. KSU president Aloshious Xavier emphasized that student organisations should not shield those responsible for such brutality.

Meanwhile, ABVP has escalated the matter, filing complaints with the Kerala Governor, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS), demanding a thorough inquiry. In a statement, ABVP criticized the LDF government, alleging that a ragging-free campus remains a distant dream under its rule.

The Kottayam Government Nursing College authorities maintained that no complaints were received before February 11. "We received the complaint on February 11 and took immediate action. Until then, the students had not disclosed the matter to anyone, including teachers and parents," said acting principal Dr Sulekha A.T. She added that an assistant warden oversees the hostel and assured that the college would fully cooperate with legal proceedings, pushing for exemplary punishment to prevent such incidents in the future.

Describing the incident as "morally reprehensible", the NHRC has taken cognisance of the case.  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has observed that the allegations, prima facie, constitute a "severe violation of human rights", according to the proceedings of the case, accessed by PTI.

The rights panel has taken cognisance based on a complaint. The NHRC in its proceedings said that the complainant has alleged that the accused students, who are from Wayanad, Malappuram and Kottayam, "coerced juniors into transferring money" online and "subjected them to physical and mental torture".

"One student was reportedly threatened with a knife to his neck, while others were bound, had lotion poured on their bodies and were inflicted with sharp weapon wounds," it said.

"These actions are not only morally reprehensible but also illegal," it observed.

In light of this, the Commission has taken cognisance of the matter under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, it said. "The Commission directs your good office, the DGP, Kerala, to submit a detailed action taken report within 10 days from the receipt of this letter," as per the proceedings.