A fast-track court in Dharamsala of Himachal Pradesh has granted bail to four accused in the Aman Kachroo ragging case, an order which his father said would send a "wrong message". Judge Purinder Vaidya had on Saturday granted bail to Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma, who were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, on bond of Rs 50,000 each.
Aman (19), a first year MBBS student at Rajindra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra), was allegedly thrashed by his seniors and he subsequently died on March 8, 2009. The incident sparked an uproar. The judge said since the statements of the witnesses have been recorded and material evidence taken into account, the accused were given bail. "The decision is a big disappointment even though this is a matter between the state and the accused. We are not driven by vengeance but they being out on bail conveys a wrong message," Aman's father Raj Kachroo told PTI.
"Definitely, it's a setback," he said. The Supreme Court had last year directed all state governments to constitute committees to look into the incidents of ragging and curb the menace. A call centre was also set up. "Last year, the Supreme Court passed an order asking the government to execute a well designed and properly researched plan that is ready for implementation but nothing has happened.
The token gesture of a call centre has also failed because it was done very poorly," he claimed. "It would have been a serious contempt of court in any country but here, despite the apex court stepping in, nothing is happening on the field," Raj said. He said he visits the UGC and the HRD Ministry everyday but "nothing is moving. "Now, the top people there don't even talk to me. The peon say you are wasting your time. I get frustrated at times and even cry," Raj, who has set up 'Aman Movement for the Eradication of Ragging', said. "What more can a common man do? I will continue to go everyday and seek justice for students who undergo ragging. The wheels have to be moved to save lives," he said. The next hearing in the case has been fixed for Aug 2. PTI
