Published Apr 10, 2026 | 5:17 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 10, 2026 | 5:17 PM
The Kakatiya Medical College has suspended the accused students for six months, besides expelling them from the hostel.
Synopsis: Seven seniors belonging to the 2023 batch, called the juniors to the terrace of the Gouthama Men’s Hostel late at night. Once there, they allegedly forced the second-year students to “kneel” and sit in an “air chair” position for an extended period. The seniors also directed verbal abuse at the victims. The incident came to light after the juniors complained to multiple authorities.
Seven third-year MBBS students at Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Telangana’s Warangal district face suspension and criminal charges after they allegedly forced second-year students to kneel on a hostel terrace and verbally abused them.
Police registered a case against the students on Friday, 10 April. The incident took place on the night of 29 March 2026 at the Gouthama Men’s Hostel on the KMC campus, but college authorities were reportedly unaware of the incident until the junior students formally complained on 7 April.
According to the complaint, seven seniors belonging to the 2023 batch, called the juniors to the terrace of the Gouthama Men’s Hostel late at night.
Once there, they allegedly forced the second-year students to “kneel” and sit in an “air chair” position for an extended period. The seniors also directed verbal abuse at the victims.
According to the anti-ragging committee, the seniors had grown unhappy with what they described as a lack of respect from the juniors, including in WhatsApp messages.
Principal Dr S Sandhya explained the sequence of events: “What we know from the enquiry is that they (the juniors) did not respect the seniors in WhatsApp messages, nor did they give due respect to the seniors.”
The second-year students filed an online complaint that reached several authorities simultaneously.
They wrote to the UGC Anti-Ragging Helpline, the Union Home Minister, the National Medical Commission, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), the Warangal commissioner of police, and other medical council authorities.
The complaint received registration number TS_0114 with the UGC Anti-Ragging Helpline.
State authorities then directed KMC principal Dr Sandhya to conduct a formal inquiry into the allegations.
The KMC Anti-Ragging Committee, convened on 8 April, summoned the accused students to appear before it.
Each of the seven students had to answer the charges against them. The committee examined the evidence and questioned those involved before arriving at its findings.
“The accused senior students were summoned before the committee and asked to explain the charges levelled against them. A detailed inquiry was conducted, and the accused were found guilty,” Dr Sandhya told reporters.
The committee identified all seven students by name: Gangula Badrinath, K Moses Shalem Raj, Jogiparthi Teja, Dharavathu Anand Naik, Talari Mahesh, Gandamalla Anthonaiah, and Maddala Komal Hithesh.
The committee recommended the suspension of the accused students from all academic activities for six months. The college administration accepted the recommendation and also ordered the permanent expulsion of all seven students from the hostel.
Dr Sandhya explained the reasoning behind the hostel expulsion: “They will be put back in the hostels and will cause inconvenience to others. So, they were permanently expelled.”
She also made clear the institution’s position on ragging: “We do not tolerate any kind of ragging. There will definitely be anti-ragging rules and punishments.”
The administration has served notices to the students, asking them to vacate their hostel rooms.
On Thursday, 9 April, Dr Sandhya formally referred the matter to the Station House Officer at Matwada Police Station, requesting a criminal investigation.
“These actions have caused severe mental agony and physical distress to the victims, violating both institutional safety norms and state laws. We request you to register a case under the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act and other relevant sections of the law to ensure a thorough criminal investigation and to uphold the safety and well-being of the student community at KMC,” the principal said in her complaint.
Matwada Police registered a case the same night. Investigators booked the seven students under Section 4(i) and 4(iii) of the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997, which covers assault, criminal intimidation, and grievous hurt caused during ragging.
The accused also face charges under Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for unlawful assembly, Section 126(2) for wrongful restraint, and Section 127(2) for wrongful confinement, all read with Section 190 BNS.
Police confirmed the case now sits with the Inspector of Police, Matwada, who leads the investigation.
“This legal intervention aims to uphold institutional safety norms and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable for the severe mental agony and physical distress inflicted upon the student community,” police said in a statement.
The seven students now face both academic consequences and a criminal case that could follow them beyond their time at KMC.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
