Colombo, Feb 22 (NIA) – Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, on Wednesday instructed his Police Chief to take all necessary action against students involved in ragging in universities across the island country.
The President said senior students ragging freshers was a disgrace to free education and had called for a report on a recent incident where 15 seniors from the Peradeniya University were arrested for torturing a group of freshers.
The students were arrested on Monday after eight freshers were admitted to hospital after being beaten up by the seniors.
The police alleged that the freshers were taken to a house, and had been forced to strip naked afterwhich they were beaten with poles.
The students continue to receive treatment in hospital.
The 15 seniors have been suspended from the university.
President Sirisena, while expressing the deepest regret of the government over this incident, said his government had to take responsibility regarding the future of the university students. He also emphasized that the government will fulfill that duty without any hesitation.
The President said that tarnishing the good image of universities which produce scholars and intellectuals, through these kind of incidents is a dishonour to free education and a number of ragging incidents had been added to the country’s history of the university system during the past 40-50 years.