Does ‘3 Idiots’ have answer to spate of suicides, ragging?

MUMBAI - Rattled by three students committing suicide, including by an 11-year-old, and a major incident of ragging at a medical college, the Maharashtra government said it would look for answers in the hit movie “3 Idiots”.

Responding to speculation that the movie - dealing with ragging incidents and even a suicide case - could have inspired the incidents in Mumbai, Medical Education Minister Vijaykumar Gavit said he would have to watch the movie soon.

“If anything objectionable is found in this regard, then we shall take appropriate action,” Gavit told IANS.

On Monday the city was stunned by three cases of student suicides, including of two minors, in the past 24 hours.

In the first instance, a 20-year old medical student, Bhajanpreet Bhullar was found dead in her flat in the up-market Powai area of north-west Mumbai in the morning. No suicide note was recovered from the site, police said.

A first year medical student of D.Y. Patil College in Navi Mumbai, Bhajanpreet had reportedly failed in two subjects in her term examinations. Her body was discovered by her family members early Monday at their home in Chaitanya Nagar of Powai suburb.

A 13-year-old student of the prestigious Shardashram Boys High School in Dadar west also committed suicide. The boy, Sushant Eknath Patil, was a student of Class 7 and reportedly took the extreme step as he had failed in some subjects. His body was discovered by some teachers in the toilet after he was found missing during the daily roll-call.

This was followed by the suicide of an 11-year old girl, Neha Sawant, at her home in Dombivli, ostensibly after her parents refused her permission to participate in a television reality show and took her off dance tuitions.

Neha, who had earlier taken part in a reality TV dance show, wanted to pursue her dancing career. However, her family was opposed to her hobby as it played havoc with her school studies.

The city was also shocked by a case of ragging in the Seth G.S. Medical College, which resulted in 18 accused students being thrown out of their hostel Monday.

Although the students, including intern doctors - arrested Sunday after some junior students accused them of ragging during a New Year party - have escaped rustication, they shall forfeit other benefits like scholarships and freeships.

Following a complaint lodged by the college authorities Sunday, the 18 students were arrested by police and released on bail of Rs.5,000 each Monday by a city court.

Medical Education Minister Gavit said if “3 Idiots” was found to have “provocative” scenes which could have prompted the suicides and ragging incidents in the city, then the state government would write to the Central Board of Film Censors to review the film and take necessary steps.

A 20-member anti-ragging committee of the college is also probing the matter but has found that the offence was not very grave. Hence it decided that on humanitarian grounds the students would not be expelled, the college Dean Sanjay Oak told mediapersons Monday evening.

The incident came to light after a student victim, whose father is a police officer, alerted the authorities. He alleged that the juniors were ordered to strip, utter lewd lines and engage in mock sexual acts at their hostel in Naigaon at a New Year party.