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SC grants leave to proceed in case on Sabaragamuwa uni student’s suicide after ragging
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Supreme Court has granted leave to proceed with two fundamental rights petitions filed over the suicide of a second year student of the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University, who took his life after being subjected to severe ragging by senior students.
The petitions were filed by the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Rajeev Amarasuriya and BASL’s Secretary Chathura Galhena, and the parents of the student, Charith Dilshan. Having heard the submissions of the petitioners, the bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda and Janak de Silva, granted leave to proceed against all respondents.
The court issued interim orders to the University Grants Commission (UGC), its Chairman, the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education and the Secretary to the Ministry of Education to tender reports, analysis, information and data in their custody of the incidents of ragging in state educational institutions coming under their purview, including disciplinary action taken, after the coming into effect of the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998. The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and/or the Attorney General to tender a report detailing prosecutions pending and/or concluded, under and in terms of the aforementioned Act.
Interim orders were also issued on the administration of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) including its Vice Chancellor, Deans of the Faculties and Members of the Council of the University to tender reports regarding steps taken to prevent and/or sanction acts of ragging at SUSL and disciplinary action taken against incidents of ragging at the university.
The court issued further interim orders directing respondents including the UGC, UGC Chairman, the Minister of Education, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General to forthwith cause the operationalisation of the existing Rules, Regulations, and/or Guidelines aimed at enforcing the provisions of the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998, in full.
The justices also ordered that a report of the findings regarding the investigation that commenced into the ragging incident which led to the death of Charith Dilshan be submitted to court.
Senany Dayaratne appeared for the President and Secretary of the BASL.
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