Published Jun 18, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 18, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Students were woken up at odd hours and ordered to perform tasks for the seniors.
Synopsis: First-year BDS students were allegedly forced to fetch cigarettes and alcohol, carry water cans, fill coolers, and arrange food deliveries. They were subjected to physical punishments for failing to meet the demands of the seniors. The Government Dental College, Hyderabad, has now suspended 12 final-year students, and expelled them from the hostel.
The Government Dental College in Hyderabad has placed 12 of its final-year students under suspension for six months for allegedly ragging freshers in the hostel.
A police case has also been registered against them based on the college’s complaint.
The suspension came after an inquiry was launched based on complaints that first-year students were forced to run errands for the seniors. The Sultan Bazar police registered a case and launched a probe following the college’s complaint.
According to official records and statements made by the college administration, the alleged ragging extended beyond verbal intimidation and involved repeated demands that first-year students staying in the hostel run errands for their seniors, often late into the night.
The students were accommodated in the Osmania Medical College’s hostel. The 12 students have been expelled from the hostel as well.
The college’s inquiry committee was told that several students were woken up at odd hours and ordered to perform tasks for the seniors.
It was alleged that juniors in the hostel were instructed to bring cigarettes and alcohol, fetch food brought by online delivery platforms, carry heavy water cans, fill drinking water coolers and arrange to serve rice and curries for senior students.
In some instances, students reportedly spent their own money to meet the seniors’ demands.
The inquiry also heard allegations that juniors were subjected to punishments including wall-sit exercises, repeated sit-ups and verbal abuse. Some students claimed that the demands occasionally caused them to miss classes and clinical postings.
“First-year students were allegedly subjected to ragging. They were asked to bring cigarettes, alcohol, fill water coolers, arrange drinking water cans and fetch Swiggy and Zomato orders. In some cases, the first-year students themselves spent money to fulfil these demands,” Dr Sarjeev Singh Yadav, Principal of Government Dental College, told South First.
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The issue first came to the attention of the administration on the night of 8 June, according to official accounts.
Interns and house surgeons allegedly intervened after learning that first-year students were being harassed by seniors inside the hostel.
The situation reportedly escalated during the early hours of the morning.
One student suffered an injury to his left eye during the confrontation as interns attempted to shield juniors from the alleged ragging.
“Some interns and house surgeons tried to stop the seniors, telling them, ‘Please don’t do this, this is not right.’ However, the final-year students allegedly attempted to assault them as well,” Dr Yadav said.
The incident prompted the activation of the college’s anti-ragging mechanism.
The principal said, hostel wardens, the Resident Medical Officer (RMO), members of the anti-ragging committee and faculty members immediately intervened.
The administration convened a meeting of first-year students, final-year students, interns and hostel authorities on 9 June. Students were counselled and warned about the consequences of ragging.
“We explained that such behaviour would harm their future and advised them not to continue. It appeared that they listened to us for about 24 hours,” Dr Yadav said.
Reportedly, the issue soon resurfaced.
“On the night of 10 June and in the early hours of 11 June, the incidents allegedly began again,” the principal said.
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Following fresh complaints, the Dental College constituted an inquiry committee to examine the allegations. The committee recorded statements from first-year students, interns, final-year students and hostel authorities.
Dr Yadav said a formal complaint reached the administration on 11 June, although concerns had first surfaced earlier.
“Finally, the first-year students and interns submitted written complaints. The final-year students also submitted written statements, claiming that they were not at fault and presented their version of events,” he said.
The committee reportedly found that the alleged incidents had gone beyond ordinary interaction between seniors and juniors.
“Interaction with juniors is acceptable up to a point and generally does not attract objections. However, these incidents went beyond that,” Dr Yadav said.
He added that juniors were allegedly made to perform tasks against their wishes and were punished when they failed to comply.
“If the juniors did not obey instructions, they were reportedly made to do wall-sit punishments, push-ups and were verbally abused,” he said.
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Following the inquiry, the committee reportedly identified 12 final-year BDS students of the 2022 batch as being involved in the incidents.
The college subsequently suspended all 12 students for six months with immediate effect.
The decision was taken after meetings involving parents, wardens, anti-ragging committee members, professors and college administrators.
“After discussing the matter and creating awareness among the students and parents, the 12 students were suspended for six months pending the inquiry by the Sultan Bazar police,” Dr Yadav said.
The principal said most of the affected students were hostel residents, coming from towns and smaller cities outside Hyderabad.
“Most of them are meritorious students from small towns, tier-two cities and tier-three cities. Students coming from such backgrounds already experience a cultural shock when they move to a large city. Seniors are expected to help them, guide them, or at the very least remain neutral,” he said.
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As the matter escalated beyond the campus, the college administration formally approached the Sultan Bazar police.
“The situation eventually went out of control. The first-year students submitted written complaints, and the interns also submitted written complaints. Based on those complaints, our anti-ragging committee conducted an inquiry. As required under the law, we then reported the matter to the police station,” Dr Yadav said.
Police have registered a case under provisions related to ragging and assault and initiated an investigation.
The principal said further action would depend on the findings of the police inquiry.
“There are legal provisions governing such cases. If the police investigation finds the students guilty, the punishment can range from suspension for six months to much more severe action. In serious cases, it can even lead to removal and blacklisting across universities,” he said.
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Calling ragging an “inhuman” practice, Dr Yadav said institutions must adopt a zero-tolerance approach.
“Even a minor disturbance at that age can have lifelong consequences. Ragging is wrong. Just because someone is a senior and has authority does not mean they can make juniors do whatever they want,” he said.
“Across India, students subjected to ragging have died by suicide, abandoned their education or suffered severe psychological distress. The current generation is particularly vulnerable, and their mental stability is very delicate. We must take such incidents seriously,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
