West Bengal: 40 Students 'Expelled' by State-Run Medical College

Forty students were "expelled" by the state-run College of Medicine and JNM Hospital in Kalyani for six months for allegedly threatening other pupils, according to an official document. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Extended College Council."Based on large number of prima facie evidences, depositions by individual students and digital evidences, the Extended College Council decided to expel the following students from hostel, hospital and college campus for a period of SIX MONTHS at least (pending further investigations into to the allegations against them) starting from today (sic)," the minutes of the meeting said.These students would be allowed to enter the college, but not the hostel and hospital, only to appear in the examination, and to face a further enquiry by the Anti-Ragging Committee and Internal Complaint Committee or any special enquiry committee, it said.At the meeting, it was also unanimously decided to dissolve the Students' Welfare Committee till further notice or a democratically-elected students' body is formed, it added.None of the 40 students would be allowed to contest the students' body election, the minutes said. "The prevailing threat culture in College of Medicine & JNM Hospital, Kalyani must stop and should not be repeated ever again. The students or students' body should have no say on the whole examination process," it said.