Jadavpur University: The group claimed themselves as representatives of a human rights group (File Photo)
The police have also obtained clues that the senior students who allegedly stripped the student were under the influence of either alcohol or some psychotropic intoxicant.
The investigation into the death of a 17-year-old student majoring in Bengali literature at Jadavpur University, allegedly due to ragging and sexual harassment in the boys’ hostel, has uncovered details of cannabis cultivation on a flower pot on the hostel’s balcony, as per a report on Friday.
The alleged victim of bullying fell from the second floor balcony of the boys hostel on August 9 night and died on August 10 morning. The police have made 12 arrests in the case so far, which includes both former and current students of the university.
The Kolkata police confiscated multiple mobile phones belonging to hostel residents and students, according a India Today report citing police sources. The seized mobile phones were sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis, aiming to retrieve deleted chats if present. While examining the devices, an image was discovered on a student’s phone, indicating potential involvement in cultivating cannabis within the university’s hostels.
According to an official from Kolkata Police, a photograph showing the cultivation of cannabis in a flowerpot was found to be deleted following the student’s death. “The photo was deleted from the mobile phone for unknown reasons after the first-year student died. It seems to be suspicious; we are probing the matter,” the source was quoted as saying.
Officials are currently investigating the picture. Once they confirm its authenticity, the university could face additional charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The report follows emerging details of the case which revealed that the teen was paraded naked and subjected to more than an hour of bullying, during which he desperately moved from one room to another in an attempt to escape.
According to an IANS report, the police have also obtained clues that the senior students who allegedly stripped the student were under the influence of either alcohol or some psychotropic intoxicant.
Police sources have said data indicates attempts to cultivate marijuana were made in A2 Block of the hostel. However, during the search, the police couldn’t locate any earthen flower pots containing traces of marijuana seeds.
The police believe that following the incident, the accused either destroyed or disposed of these earthen flower pots, likely anticipating the potential escalation of the issue in the future.
The arrested accused are currently in police custody, while additional current and former students of the university are being monitored by the police.
Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose directed newly-appointed interim Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University, Buddhadeb Sau, to promptly apply the anti-ragging guidelines outlined by the University Grants Commission (UGC) within the campus.
The Governor also inquired about the reason for the delay in installing CCTV cameras across the university campus.
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