Case registered: Maharashtra Police has registered a case against a National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadet who was seen thrashing junior cadets mercilessly during a training session at a college in Thane, an official said on Saturday (August 5).
The police took a suo motu cognisance of the matter and booked the cadet under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) at the Thane Nagar police station on Friday night, he said.
The police action comes following a protest by several student unions outside the college. The incident took place at Joshi Bedekar College in Thane.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar assured the state legislative Assembly of a probe into the matter and necessary action.
According to the college management, the student in the viral video has been suspended. His brutal action was captured by another student on camera while he was thrashing his fellow NCC cadets during the training session. The video sparked outrage after it went viral on Thursday.
Viral video
The viral video showed eight cadets in a puddle amid rain with their heads pinned in the muddy soil instead of using their hands for support.
The accused cadet was seen standing behind them with a stick in his hand and whacking each of them one by one for failing to execute the drill.
The cadets are seen in a push-up position in a water-logged area with their feet and heads touching the ground and hands folded above the back. When a cadet changes posture, the senior student is seen thrashing him with a stick and going on to thrash others too.
Several student unions and political parties including Congress, Shiv Sena UBT and Eknath Shinde’s Sena protested outside the college yesterday after the video surfaced on social media.
The student wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) submitted a memorandum to the college management and demanded strict action against the accused student.
Issue raised in Assembly
The issue was raised inside the state Assembly as Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Friday spoke on the issue in the House.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the government to take action.
Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan sought action under the anti-ragging law.
The NCC issued a statement stating what is seen in the viral video is “neither a reflection of NCC ethos nor a part of any organised training or activity”.
The student, who belonged to Bandodkar College, has been suspended.
(With PTI inputs)
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