MBBS Students Injured in Violent Scuffle at GMC Boys Hostel: Investigation Underway
15-05-2023 : A scuffle broke out at the Boys Hostel of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu between MBBS students and outsiders, resulting in injuries to five students. According to reports, the incident occurred after a student shared a controversial film link on the First-Prof students’ WhatsApp group, which was objected to by another student who stated that the group was meant for study purposes only. The student who objected was then assaulted by junior students inside the hostel, after which more students and outsiders forcibly entered the hostel and attacked the objecting student and his supporters. However, the outsiders fled before the police arrived.
As a result of the scuffle, five students sustained injuries, one of them on the head and another on the shoulder. They were immediately taken to the Emergency Unit of Government Medical College, where they received first aid and necessary medical treatment and were discharged by the evening. The students then protested in front of the hostel, but dispersed on police intervention. However, hundreds of students boycotted their classes the next day and staged a protest outside GMC hospital, demanding a fair investigation and appropriate action against the culprits.
The protesting students alleged that senior MBBS students had brought in outsiders who attacked the junior students. The Principal of GMC Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma, assured the protesting students that appropriate action would be taken against the culprits and confirmed that five students had suffered minor injuries in the scuffle. She stated that four of them were immediately discharged, while the one who had received stitches in the head was still admitted but recovering well and expected to be discharged within the next 24 hours.
Dr Shashi stated that a formal complaint had been lodged with the police station, and ten students had been rusticated from the hostel for two months and debarred from attending classes until the disciplinary committee of the institution completes the inquiry within seven days. She also said that the report of the warden of the Boys Hostel had been forwarded to the disciplinary committee of the institution for inquiry. Additionally, eight security personnel and one security supervisor have been deployed in the hostel to maintain security around the clock, and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu has been requested to take all precautionary measures, including deploying additional police personnel around the hostel and GMC premises to avoid any law and order problems.
In a statement released to the media, SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli confirmed that an FIR had been registered in connection with the incident, and further investigation was underway. The incident highlights the need for universities and colleges to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, and for students to be responsible and respectful in their behavior towards each other.
