Thane NCC flogging: Accused student took charge from a transferred instructor last week

Amid the uproar caused by a viral video showing ten National Cadet Corps (NCC) trainees being brutally flogged and tyrannised by their trainer, a preliminary probe has revealed that the accused was a student who had been ‘handed charge’ by the teacher-in-charge who was transferred out last week.  

The Thane Police who took suo moto cognizance are probing the disturbing case of several NCC trainees being brutally flogged and tyrannised by their trainer at the Vidya Prasarak Mandal’s college, in Thane, a top official said here on Friday.

Simultaneously, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other groups organised protests and demonstrations outside the colleges condemning the inhuman ‘punishment’ meted out to the trainee students by their supervisors in these prestigious colleges of Thane city which is home to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawade told media persons on Friday that they have taken suo moto cognisance and started the investigations into the case immediately. “So far, we have recorded the statements of 10 of the (victim) students and also their senior… We shall take necessary action in the matter. We appeal to the protesters to call off their demonstrations,” urged DCP Gawade.

Soon after an undated video — showing the corporal-style thrashing by some unidentified senior NCC trainer to the junior students — went viral on August 3, the matter was raised by several leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Dr Jitendra Awhad, and activists of Shiv Sena (UBT).

As the video sparked outrage in academic and political circles, the VPM’s KG.Joshi-NG Bedekar and BN Bandodkar College authorities jolted into action and started an internal inquiry into the incident.

Locals said that the NCC training is imparted jointly to the students of the three colleges at a common location in the Joshi-Bedekar campus, to prepare them for future prospects with the Army and Navy.

As per the video, more than half a dozen unidentified students were made to lie down on the ground full of rainwater and muck, or forced to stand in the muddy water, and some senior trainers assaulted them in a bestial manner with a stick.

The terrified students are seen crying and pleading but the beatings don’t stop in the video clip, believed to be shot by a conscientious student.

Apprehensive of their academic career, most students and their parents preferred to keep quiet, but the Joshi-Bedekar College Principal Dr. Suchitra Naik on Thursday appealed to them to come forward, identify the seniors and lodge complaints.

Later, Dr. Naik told media persons that the incident is condemnable and said they have started initiating action and nobody would be spared, amid reports that many students are reluctant to volunteer for the NCC training.

The college authorities have also claimed that the person seen assaulting the juniors is not their staffer and more details would emerge in the police probe.

Pradeep Sawant from Yuva Sena said, “The NCC teacher for this specific unit was transferred recently. Senior cadets taking over in the absence of teachers has led to this incident.”